


Undercover

by miss_take



Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: Alternate Universe, Eventual Smut, Everyone is Gonna Bang Eventually, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Maybe a Little Gore Here and There, Rating May Change, Slow Burn, Smatterings of Sexual Tension, not too bad though, some language, some violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-30
Updated: 2018-09-08
Packaged: 2018-10-13 02:07:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 56,085
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10504224
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/miss_take/pseuds/miss_take
Summary: “Miss Higurashi, demons are more than just grotesque depictions in ancient scrolls and history books. They are very much real, and living among us today.”In which a seemingly simple undercover case hurdles Detective Kagome Higurashi into a world she never knew existed, into a war she never asked to be a part of, and into the arms of the stunningly handsome Special Agent Yashiro Nishimura, who has one too many secrets he struggles to keep hidden from her to keep her safe.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I've been tinkering with this little ditty for a while now. What started as an innocent oneshot blossomed into a full-blown chapter story that has slowly and methodically been driving me insane. This fic is beautiful chaos, but I feel selfish keeping it on my computer without allowing you all to peruse its contents and give me proper feedback. So please, if you would, leave me a comment if you think I should continue with it. I have a few chapters written with the intention of adding a lot more, but if it doesn't interest anyone then I may end up scrapping the whole project.
> 
> Ciao, lovelies,
> 
> Your Mistress

The room was abuzz with activity. 

Strobe lights danced off of the ceiling, different colors flashing across the walls and people like sirens on a police car. The music was blaring from the speakers, the bass dropping low and so hard that one could feel it pleasantly pulsing in the pit of their stomach. 

The bar was in full swing, several tenders manning their stations behind the counter as more and more people filtered in to partake of the alcoholic delights that lined the back wall. Those who weren’t hanging around the bar area working on their third or fourth Vodka on the rocks were out on the dance floor, bumping and grinding their glistening, sweaty bodies in time and getting drunk off of the beat of the music and the people around them.

Kagome Higurashi took a deep breath in. Yes, it was just another normal night at _Shikon_. The most popular club in all of Tokyo was the place to be on Friday nights, and that was why she was sitting here now, sipping delicately from her gin and tonic (more tonic than gin) and surveying the area.

The club catered exclusively to Tokyo’s richest of the rich, which could only mean that some high-class, money-bags mob boss with a god complex was using the building as a congregating area, thinking he would fly under the radar and keep away from the detectives of the TMPD. Which brought up an interesting question…

_How the heck did Kaede manage to get me into a place like this?_ Kagome pondered, looking around and recognizing several trust-fund babies she had read about in the paper on more than one occasion. One had to have a seven-digit salary or more to get into this club, but all she had to do was flash her ID and she was in. 

Then again, she wouldn’t put anything past her boss. The old woman was terribly resourceful and stubborn as a bull when crossed.

Kagome was on an undercover mission to locate and bring in rumored mob boss Bankotsu Takeshi. There were faint whispers on the wind that he was the leader of the notorious group known as the Band of Seven — seven men with mercenary skills that far-exceeded the norm who were known for their share of unnecessary violence. 

A little birdy told her that he was known to schedule meetings at _Shikon_ , and due to his position as a high-ranking government official during the day, Kagome didn’t doubt her informant’s story. 

Now came the tricky part: tracking him down in this thick crowd of people.

“Can I perhaps buy you a drink?” a slurred voice asked from beside her, and she turned a pair of neutral, hazel eyes toward the drunken man who had asked her the question. Raising her glass in a wordless declaration that she was taken care of, the man simply stared at it for a moment before refocusing his blurry gaze back on her…more specifically, on her chest. 

“Well, how about a dance, then?” he persisted, getting closer to her than she was comfortable with; she could smell the liquor on his breath and it was making her nauseous. 

_I don’t have time for this!_

“I’m sorry, but no, thank you,” she murmured, trying to keep her cool as he grabbed her drink from her hand and set it down on the bar surface. Moving faster than she thought possible in his inebriated state, he snaked his arm around her waist and slid his other hand down her side in a less than innocent fashion.

“Oh, come on…don’t be that way…it’s just one dance…unless you _beg_ for more…”

“Kindly remove your hands from my person, please,” Kagome managed to get out through gritted teeth, resisting the urge to grab him by the face and ram her forehead into his. She hated being treated like a helpless little doll!

The man’s bloodshot eyes widened slightly as she attempted to struggle out of his hold. “You’re a feisty little one, aren’t you? You’re just begging for somebody to put you in your place.” Kagome winced at his vulgar insinuation; this was so not how she wanted to spend her evening.

“I came here with someone,” she tried one last time for salvation, tugging a bit harder than before in the hopes that he would just let her go. No such luck.

“He’s not here, now; he obviously doesn’t care that much if he left a beautiful flower such as yourself alone for any predator to come and snatch you up,” he said as he pulled her flush against him, and she could feel just how much of an effect her struggling seemed to have on him as her body came into rather intimate contact with his. 

Okay, that was it; she was trying hard not to use unnecessary force, but this guy obviously wasn’t taking the HUGE hint that she was _not_ interested.

“I said get _off_ ,” she growled before shoving him away none too gently. He fell backwards onto the bar stool beside her, and the force in which he was thrown into it caused it to tip back, dumping his intoxicated body onto the floor. The area around the two of them went silent as the man laid there for a moment, drunken brain trying to process what had just happened. 

_Oh, crud…_

In a flash, he was up, anger and embarrassment flowing from his person as he glanced around at the chuckling onlookers. “You bitch!” he shouted as his rage-filled gaze zeroed in on her. He looked ready to smack her across the face _and then some_ , and she clenched her fists nervously. 

No, she wasn’t concerned that he would hurt her. He wasn’t anything extraordinary; she was trained to take men like him down in her sleep. What she was more worried about at the moment was the scene it would cause. If she took down the solid 200+ pounds of muscle in front of her it would tip Bankotsu off that she was an agent sent to take him in. He would flee and she would have failed her assignment. On the other hand, she really didn’t feel like getting hit this evening.

Damn her and her pride.

Preparing herself for the hit she was sure to receive, she was nearly shocked out of her skin as a gentle hand placed itself on her shoulder and pulled her into a strong, warm chest. 

“There you are, sweetheart,” a deep, decidedly sultry voice rumbled in her ear, “I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”

She opened her eyes to see the drunken man — hand still poised in a move to swat her across the face — trembling in what she could only assume was fear mixed with flustered embarrassment. A question rising in her oceanic eyes, Kagome looked up into the face of her savior.

He was tall — several inches over six foot, if she had to venture a guess — and well-built, from what she could make out through his fitted, white T-shirt and dark jeans. His face was nicely-structured with high cheekbones, a strong jawline, and a slightly-upturned nose. His eyes...Kami, they were such a deep shade of violet, the likes of which she had never seen before! Dark brows framed his hypnotizing eyes, matching his long, black hair that looked soft to the touch and fell down past his shoulders to his firm hind quarters (which she couldn’t help but stare at for but a moment longer than she should have). 

Judging by the small smirk he bestowed her when she finally shook herself and looked back up at his ethereal face, she surmised he knew his effect on her and was just a wee bit haughty to render her speechless. His dark eyes twinkled as he gazed down at her, then subtly tilted his head in the direction of the fuming third party in their conversation, and she realized almost a moment too late that if this was to play out to their advantage, she needed to say something. Now.

_Jeez! Some professional I am! I can’t even stay composed in the presence of a handsome man!_

Doing a mental facepalm, Kagome cleared her throat and played her part before suspicion arose. “Oh, um...yes...yes, I was just getting a drink,” she said stupidly, her voice falling flat as she was still a bit disoriented. 

_Darn it, Kags! You are a trained detective! You’re better than this! Say something more intellectual!_

Straightening her posture and squaring her shoulders, Kagome leaned into the hard - _so hard_ \- body beside her and kissed the perfect stranger on the cheek. “I’m sorry I made you worry, baby,” she pouted for effect, and the man’s smirk grew. “It won’t happen again.”

“It had better not. You know how worried I get when you wander. I’m always afraid some pervert will try to pull a move on you,” he admonished, his eyes flicking to the man still frozen in front of them. They held malicious intent as he followed up with, “Why, if that happened, I wouldn’t know what to do. Tear his arms off, maybe? Beat him senseless with the severed limbs? Or something much, much worse.” 

The entire time his gaze unflinchingly remained on the drunken pervert, who was slowly backing away and unsuccessfully trying to blend in with the crowd around him. The innocent passersby were watching the entire scene unfold with unspoken humor in their eyes, and as the man finally turned tail and ran straight out of the club, a collective laugh was shared throughout the crowd before it dispersed, leaving just Kagome and her rescuer standing there, their arms still around each other.

Kagome tried desperately to hide the blush trying to make its way onto her face. What was she to say? How should she proceed? Sure, she gained enough confidence back there to put on an act to humiliate the creep that tried to humiliate her, but now what? 

When she finally obtained enough courage to look up into his face, he was staring down at her with amusement dancing in his violet eyes. Instantly, Kagome turned the color of a tomato. 

“Wh-what?” she asked, giving a little tug to get out of the circle of his arms. Sitting herself back at the bar, she ordered herself a virgin daiquiri and sighed, rubbing her temples. Of all the nights to be sexually assaulted by a drunken lunatic...

She heard a snort from behind her before the man sat down beside her. “Nothing,” he said before turning his gaze to the bottles of alcoholic beverages lining the opposite wall and ordering a beer for himself.

In his moment of distraction, Kagome took an opportunity to scope him out with a more critical, more _professional_ eye, now that the initial shock of his good looks was out of the way.

She watched as he swiftly shucked the helmet and leather jacket she had previously failed to notice he had been carrying slung over his shoulder down onto the stool beside him, indicating that he probably rode a motorcycle or scooter of sorts. 

_He definitely looks like he’s more of a motorcycle man, though..._

Perusing his figure, the black riding boots further confirmed her suspicions, and as her eyes once again rose to look him over a final time, her attention was caught by the trinket he wore on a chain around his neck. Looking as close as she dared without raising suspicion, she noted what appeared to be a large, white fang-shaped charm bookended by two black beads hanging just inside the V-neck of his collar.

She was working up the courage to ask him about it when he tugged at the necklace and simply stated, “Magatama.”

Kagome briefly pondered how he could have known what she was going to ask, having not looked at her once since he sat down, before taking note of the way his fingers gently worried the carved jade over the chain that held it around his neck. Having a moment to think made her realize that, in all of the excitement, she had totally forgotten her manners. 

“Oh! Um...by the way...thank you. For helping me out of that situation. You didn’t have to step in like that, but I sure am grateful that you did.”

It was true. While she wasn’t in any physical danger, she almost endangered her mission by causing an altercation, and that would simply not do, so the least she owed this man was a thank you.

His eyebrows disappeared behind his bangs as they rose into his hairline, a look of mild surprise dawning on his countenance as he finally turned to look at her. Giving her the once-over, he shrugged before sending a small, sexy smile her way. 

“I wasn’t expecting any accolades; you looked like you needed help, so I jumped in.”

“I could’ve handled him by myself; I didn’t ask you to help me,” Kagome cut in, turning fierce blue-green eyes on him, “I’m not feeble, you know.”

“Easy, tiger. I wasn’t suggesting anything of the sort. I was just trying to prevent any kind of conflict that would get you thrown out of here on your ass,” he said, taking a swig from his bottle. 

Slightly uncomfortable silence ensued as Kagome stared down at her drink. For some reason, she was feeling rather on edge with this guy. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but something about him didn’t strike her the right way. 

A few more minutes passed by without either of them talking before Kagome felt him nudge her with his elbow. “Oi. What’s your name?”

Kagome just stared at him, blinking a few times and wondering if she heard correctly.

“My name?”

“Did I stutter? Yes, your name.” He smiled at her, then rolled his eyes at the suspicious look on her face. “What? Not gonna tell me? Is it confidential?” Again, he was met with a glare. “Oh, come on! Lighten up! It’s not like I’m gonna use it against you or anything.” Tipping back another sip of his beer, he waited for her response.

Growling under her breath, Kagome crossed her arms over her chest and gave him a good, firm look. She didn’t have time for this tonight. She needed to refocus on the task at hand, which was to locate and potentially arrest Bankotsu Takeshi. She was on duty, and she needed to get her head back in the game.

“My name is Chikako Yamamoto,” she replied shortly, flashing her fake ID that she used when she was undercover. Before he got a chance to scan it fully, she tucked it back in her purse and smiled. “And what’s your name?”

Yashiro looked the girl up and down again for good measure; just because he damn well could. He liked what he saw.

She wasn’t very tall; the top of her head just barely met his chin when they were standing, but what she lacked in height she made up for with curves in all the right places. Her hair fell in jet-black waves down her back, making her delicately pale skin that much more pronounced. Cute little freckles were dusted over the bridge of her nose, giving her an air of innocence that shattered once he looked into her eyes... he had never seen a woman with eyes as clear and beautiful as hers, and the way they expressed every emotion she was feeling even when she tried to hide them was so very alluring. 

_There’s something hauntingly familiar about this girl...I can’t quite put my finger on it, but there’s this nagging feeling that I know her from somewhere..._

Snapping out of his thoughts just in time to realize he had been blatantly staring at her, he could have smacked himself in the forehead at his slip-up.

_Keep it together, baka. Sure, she’s cute, but you can’t lose sight of why you’re here._

He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t interested in the girl; the fact of the matter was, however, that he didn’t have time for picking up honeys tonight. He needed his focus on things other than the beautiful woman sitting before him.

“The name’s Saito. Kenji Saito.” He hated using his fake name, but he couldn’t chance anyone overhearing who he actually was. It was too risky at the moment.

Kagome nodded and held up her glass as a form of acknowledgement. “It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Saito.” When he made a face at the formality, she chuckled and amended, “Kenji, then? Alright, well, it was nice making your acquaintance, Kenji.” Downing the last of her drink in a single gulp, she daintily dabbed at her mouth with a napkin before pushing back her stool and sending a short bow in Yashiro’s direction. 

“Once again, I thank you for your assistance earlier. I really must be going, now,” she lied, hoping that if she edged close enough to the throng of dancing people, she’d get lost in the crowd.

Yashiro blinked once before nodding. “It was my pleasure, Miss Yamamoto.” 

_What a strange girl...she comes to a club, barely drinks anything of alcoholic substance, and then just leaves? Peculiar..._

His inquisitive nature was kicking in again, but as he was about to broach the subject with the rapidly-retreating form of the young lady, his hackles rose just moments before an explosion from the upper level of the club shook the building by the foundation and brought a halt to the music that was just moments ago blasting full throttle. 

Screams broke through the din as pieces of the ceiling caved and fell in on the unsuspecting partygoers, and people tried to dodge the deadly debris as they ran for the exits and climbed over one another in a break for freedom.

A string of expletives left Yashiro’s mouth as he jumped to the side just moments before glass from the skylights showered the area where he had just been standing, then he tucked and rolled as large chunks of ceiling tiles and support beams came crashing down around him. 

Another explosion brought more panic and mayhem as people piled out of any door that led to the outside world, away from this catastrophe, and Yashiro’s hand flew to his side out of reflex. 

_Fuck! Of all the days for me to leave Tetsusaiga outside with my chopper!_ Cursing up a storm and then some, he just managed to dodge another maelstrom of debris before taking notice of something that made him stop dead in his tracks. 

_What the hell is the wench doing?!_

Kagome had just managed to bust her way out of the mass mob of panicked citizens before another explosion sent her reeling. 

_Holy cow, that’s a strong blast! I just know The Band of Seven has to be behind this!_ Steeling her resolve, she hoisted herself onto the shaky metal staircase that led to the second level of the spacious clubhouse where the eruptions were originating from.

Yashiro openly gaped as she climbed up the wavering, metal steps. What the hell did she think she was doing?! She was going to get herself killed! Growling, he lunged forward, sprinting for her just as he heard the telltale crack of the metal frame that was holding the stairs in place. 

As the framework heaved, rippled in midair as if made of jelly in the aftershocks of another quake, then promptly gave way, Kagome screamed and grabbed firm hold of the railing that remained attached to the wall by a few precariously placed screws and a prayer. Dangling about fifteen feet from the very _solid_ ground, she weighed her options in her head. 

_Okay...I can either hang here like a baka until someone calls for help, or..._ she glanced around for option two and her gaze fell on the wall just a few feet away. 

Bingo!

Sucking in a deep breath, she tested just how much tension the rapidly-fracturing railing could take before swinging herself back and forth slowly. Just as she managed to get a foothold on the wall in an attempt to climb the rest of the way up using the railing as a guide, the metal whined under the burden of her weight and caved, ripping clean from the wall and sending her careening toward the unforgiving earth below.

She didn’t even have time to scream before she was encased in a pair of strong arms and bracketed against an equally-strong chest, the air rushing from her lungs at the impact and black spots dancing in her peripherals.

“Fuck!” came the agitated voice of her hero, and Kagome looked up just in time to see a humanoid figure being hurled from the second story balcony... and straight at them! 

Just as she feared a brutal collision with the limp body, the person holding her zigged rather than zagged and just barely avoided a nasty encounter, much to Kagome’s relief.

Her feet barely touched the ground before she was swung around and forced to stare into the aggravated, violet eyes of her savior. 

“Are you stupid or something? You almost died, woman!” Yashiro shouted, shaking her a little so she understood the severity of the situation.

Kagome stared owl-eyed for a moment before shoving the man away and blinking rapidly. “I don’t have to explain myself to you! What on Earth are you still doing here, anyway? You should have evacuated with the rest of the civilians!”

“I could ask you the same question!” he countered, stepping in closer and using his height to his advantage to seem more imposing, “Leave at once, Miss Yamamoto! You shouldn’t be here.”

Gaping at his brazenness, Kagome jabbed him in the chest with her index finger. “Listen, buster, I have every right to be here! It’s _you_ who needs to leave at once!” 

Reaching into her blouse, she produced her badge and practically shoved it in his face. “Detective Kagome Higurashi of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department! This is now a crime scene, and I have jurisdiction. In other words, scram!”

It was Yashiro’s turn to gape, and just as he was about to tell her just exactly where she could shove that badge of hers, a loud groan to the right of him had both of their heads snapping in that direction.

“I don’t know which is worse...that fall, or your mindless bickering...” 

The body that had just moments ago taken a dive for the concrete shook for a moment before slowly rising, bones and joints cracking back into place as the man stood at his full height. He was quite the imposing figure, what with his wild, spiked hair and strange tattoos marring his otherwise handsome face. An evil glint shone in his gray, soulless eyes as he took a step forward, and the two of them finally noticed the sharp talons protruding from his knuckles.

“Wh...what...” Kagome stuttered, not sure what to think of this new development, but Yashiro just scoffed.

“Suikotsu. What’d you do to piss Bank off this time, asshole?” he taunted as he gestured to the now-demolished building surrounding them.

The man known as Suikotsu barked out a laugh before cracking his neck. “None of your damn business, half breed. All you need to concern yourself with is your death at my hands...” He snorted. 

“You YTF’s think you’re so great...your excessive pride will be your downfall!” His gaze shifted from the surly, ebony-haired man to the pretty young woman standing slightly behind him, “...perhaps I will take your woman afterwards as a prize for my victory...” A purely evil smile spread across his face as he lunged forward, prepared to lop off Yashiro’s head in one blow with his lethal claws. Yashiro was faster.

Grabbing hold of the distraught Kagome, he jumped clear of Suikotsu’s attack and landed at least twenty feet away in the opposite direction, causing an enraged shout to exit his attacker.

Growling loudly and baring blunt teeth, Yashiro turned to Kagome and looked her straight in the eye. “Hey. Don’t you faint on me, now!” 

Pulling her close and dodging another one of Suikotsu’s attacks, he made a break for the closest exit and gently edged her toward the door. “You get out of here. It’s not safe.” With a final push she was out the door, and he smirked before giving his opponent his full attention. 

“Okay, you insane piece of work, we can either do this the easy way...or the fun way.” 

Smiling as Suikotsu let out a battle cry and sprinted toward him, he said almost giddily, “Alright...the fun way it is.”

*~*~*~*~*~*

The nighttime breeze pushed her damp hair off the back of her neck, and as a shiver coursed down her spine and goosebumps made themselves known on her skin, Kagome finally snapped out of her shock-induced daze.

_Good grief! Did that really just happen?!_

Wiping the soot out of her eyes, she blinked rapidly before recalling everything that happened up to this point and nearly fell over due to the overwhelming effect. 

_Explosions...I almost died! And Mr. Saito saved me... Oh no, Mr. Saito!_ Gasping and turning to re-enter the building, Kagome paused as she remembered the reason for her stupor in the first place. 

_That man...can he even be considered a man? Well, whatever he was, I can’t let Mr. Saito face him alone! He’s fast, but those claws are long and sharp, so there’s no telling how badly he could get injured if I don’t lend my assistance._

Silently reminding herself that she was a cop and had faced countless a villain in her career while managing to keep a cool head about it, she was just about to enter the fray...again...before she remembered something that brought her pause.

“Oh, right! How could I have forgotten?!”

*~*~*~*~*~*

“You keep avoiding me, _Lord_ InuYasha. You have failed to make a single blow! Are you finally resigning yourself to your miserable fate?” Suikotsu taunted loudly as he attempted another slash at the man’s legs to no avail.

_I’ve gotta stay on the defensive because I don’t have Tetsusaiga to back me up and I can’t risk any stray humans witnessing something they shouldn’t._ “Shut up, asshole. You know my brother wants you alive; I can’t say I’d have the restraint to _not_ kill your sorry ass if I got my hands on you!”

“You boast, but can you back up your claims? Come now, InuYasha. Be a good doggy and reveal your true self so that you are more of a challenge for me!”

“Shut up!” 

Pushing off of the overturned bar, Yashiro flipped through the air and swung his leg down hard with the intention of bashing Suikotsu in the head and knocking him out, but his opponent was able to bring his arms up in time to protect his decidedly more delicate cranium so that Yashiro’s heel made contact with his forearms instead. Before Suikotsu was able to grab him, Yashiro leapt out of range, pouncing once more in the blink of an eye and raking spell-concealed claws down his back. 

Sidestepping another swipe of the crazed man’s talons, he threw a punch that sent him flying into the wall containing the few remaining bottles of liquor. As Suikotsu made impact with a cacophony of crashes and clatter, Yashiro crouched in the middle of the room and surveyed the area. 

_Gotta finish this quickly before the police show up...can’t have humans interfering with this lunatic and possibly getting hurt._

Setting off in a dead run for the space where Suikotsu should have landed, he wasn’t expecting the sharp claws that suddenly embedded themselves in his chest and wrenched. Shouting out in surprised pain, he attempted to kick himself free, but Suikotsu was quicker and shoved him to the ground, grinding his claws ever deeper and making Yashiro’s teeth grate together. 

_Fucker must’ve been hiding in the debris...asshole..._

“You are a fool, InuYasha!” A pause. “Oh, yes, I forgot; you no longer go by that moniker these days. What is it you refer to yourself as now? Yashiro?” He barked out a sharp laugh. “Ashamed of your mongrel heritage, I see. And justly so. You disgrace your father, half breed whelp. While I am just one member of the Band of Seven, I have single-handedly defeated you. Wait until Bankotsu hears about this...” 

Suikotsu retracted his talons with a sickening squelching noise, and Yashiro cursed through gnashed fangs as the nutcase gored him once more.

_Starting to lose consciousness...gotta end this now..._ “Count your blessings, buddy, because when I get out of this, I’m not going easy on you,” he managed to grit out through the blood choking his voice.

Suikotsu chuckled. “A wild boast, dear hanyou, but only a miracle would allow your escape at this point.” To emphasize his reign over the situation, he rammed his fist into Yashiro’s chest a few more times for good measure before pinning him to the ground with precariously placed talons inserted in his abdomen. 

“And now, I shall decapitate you and leave your body to rot!” Raising his free hand, his razor sharp claws glinted in the moonlight. Yashiro could feel the bile rising in his throat, and he had the almost desperate need to vomit, but he refused to give his captor the fulfillment he sought by showing weakness. 

Glaring up at the psychopath ominously kneeling over him, he only barely heard what sounded like the notching of an arrow before the weight on his chest vanished, and Suikotsu let out a pained scream.

“Now stop squirming, or I might just take your head off next!” came the angered shout of a woman off to his left. Lifting his head - and ignoring the white spots crowding his vision - Yashiro took notice of two things. Suikotsu was still screaming as he tried to yank out the arrow firmly lodged in his shoulder, and the reason for his misery was a very disgruntled Kagome standing a few feet away on top of the vacated DJ stand with another arrow notched and ready to go.

“Miss Higurashi!” he called, coughing up a great deal of blood in the process, much to his disdain. 

Kagome’s eyes widened when he rolled onto his side and pushed himself to standing. _How is he even conscious?! He lost so much blood!_ Shaking herself and refocusing just in time as Suikotsu rose with malice in his eyes, she fired off another arrow, which he deflected with his talons.

“Those darn claws! They’re so much stronger than I initially thought!” she shouted out loud in frustration, not noticing as Yashiro joined her from behind.

“Those aren’t real claws, Miss Higurashi,” he interjected, causing her to jump and drop the arrow she had just notched, “they’re just cheap imitations, but you’re right; they’re incredibly strong.” 

He stepped up onto the podium and picked up her fallen missile. “Keep your attacks away from his upper body; he’ll have a harder time deflecting your arrows if you set your target lower. Aim for his knees; they’re his weakness and our best bet at slowing him down.” Being mindful of the blood still staining his white shirt, he leaned in close and adjusted her stance so she was aiming significantly lower. 

“If you take out his knees, I’ll be able to finish up here.”

Nodding her head, she took a deep breath and sighted down the arrow. Suikotsu began picking up speed, but the pain in his shoulder was slowing him down immensely; enough for Kagome to fire off another round of arrows aimed at shattering his kneecaps.

_Please hit!_


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Kagome gets offered the opportunity of a lifetime.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone for the kind words of encouragement and the kudos!

_“Ah. So it was Suikotsu that you faced off against this evening, was it?”_

Kagome’s eye twitched. “Waitasecond! So you _knew_ about this crazy, claw-wielding maniac _before_ sending me in there, and you didn’t think to warn me?!”

_“Kagome, allow me to explain -”_

“With all due respect, Ma’am, WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?! It would have been nice to know what I was going up against!!”

_“Child, will you please calm down for a moment -”_

“A simple, ‘Hey, Kagome. Just as a heads up, there’s a good chance you’ll be running into a crazed psychopath who gets off at the sight of blood while you’re there. I know that you only thought your training prepared you for everything, but here’s something new to add to the mix! It should be fun!’ would have sufficed!”

_“THAT IS ENOUGH!!!”_ Captain Kaede shouted over the phone, and Kagome immediately shut up. _“I didn’t expect an altercation such as this to take place, and while it is my fault for not preparing you for every possible outcome, I still expect you to act professionally about it!”_

Once Kagome was sufficiently shoving her foot in her mouth at her childish outburst, Kaede continued in a less-chiding tone, _“If you recall, Suikotsu is mentioned several times in the file I gave you on Bankotsu and the Band of Seven.”_ Kagome made an affirming noise, vaguely remembering reading a thing or two about each of the members of the gang, but honestly they had all bled together in her mind to some extent. 

_“Suikotsu is one of the more tragic members of the Band of Seven; when provoked, he becomes an insatiable killing machine that thirsts for bloodshed and destruction. This was not mentioned in the file, because it is on a need-to-know basis, and I mistakenly did not assume you needed to know. This was supposed to be a routine apprehension, you understand.”_

Kagome nodded in a far-off manner, looking over at the man sitting in the middle of the demolished room, chains weighing him down and keeping him out of trouble. Not that he could have moved if he wanted to; she took out both his knees quite efficiently. 

What startled her was the drastic change in his appearance. Instead of the Wolverine-esque character she and Mr. Saito had been facing off against not but a few moments earlier, there sat a handsome young man with hazy blue eyes full of remorse and suffering. He was silent, his gaze downcast as officers buzzed around the area, casing the joint for any sign of Bankotsu or any other member of the Band of Seven. 

_So sad...his face holds so much pain and anguish...it’s hard to believe he’s a ruthless killing machine..._

Almost unbidden, Kagome inched closer to the man as her Captain continued to fill her in on the other line. _“The poor man...he must have done something drastic to have Bankotsu lash out at him so severely in such a public venue. I’ll bet his second personality surfaced in the struggle...probably a survival instinct of sorts.”_

“Second personality?” Kagome inquired as she stood in front of the man, who still refused to look up.

_“Aye, child. Suikotsu was once one of the greatest pediatricians in his field. Every child he treated loved him, and he had a wonderful rapport with his colleagues and faculty members.”_

“A _pediatrician_? This guy worked with kids?” she interrupted, kneeling down to inspect him more thoroughly. His eyes remained on the ground, but the sudden tension in his shoulders told her he acknowledged her presence.

Kaede chuckled. _“Hard to believe after what you just witnessed, I know. I could hardly believe it myself when I found out.”_ Letting that statement hang in the air for a moment, Kaede considered her next words before speaking. _“An accident happened. According to the reports, the hospital he was working at caught fire, endangering several lives, including his own.”_

The older woman looked down at the folder splayed out over her desk, a case report of that night giving her the information she was relaying to Kagome. _“By the time the fire department showed up, the entire building was ensconced in flames. They were just about to enter the building in search of survivors when the door was kicked down and out limped Suikotsu with three children in his arms._

_“It says here that his appearance looked altered; his eyes were harsher with a crazed look to them and his hair was askew, and he looked malevolent standing there against the flames. The people were just about to rejoice when he attacked, throwing the children aside and leaping for the first person he saw. Aside from over a thousand deaths courtesy of the fire, five more people died that night because of Suikotsu alone. Not long after that, he joined the Band of Seven, and he’s been off the radar ever since.”_

Kagome was only half listening as Kaede was telling her all of this. All the while, she was studying this man, this Suikotsu, more closely. He seemed harmless enough, but if what Kaede was saying was true, then there was more to him than met the eye. 

“I’ll bet his second personality comes out when his life is in danger,” she finally declared, though her eyes remained on the captive. “It only makes sense. He almost died in that fire, and the boost of pure, desperate evil from his alter ego gave him the power to fight his way out of the burning building. It probably gives him an edge in combat, too. It’s almost a Jekyll and Hyde ordeal.”

 _“I agree. A very clever observation. I just wish there was more evidence about what triggered his initial transformation.”_

Kaede paused, then smiled as she heard the young woman let out a cavernous yawn on the other side of the conversation. _“We’ll talk more in person tomorrow. For now, you should probably get some rest. Too much excitement for one night.”_ Kagome agreed, and with a polite salutation, ended the call and turned her full attention to Suikotsu.

Finally, he glanced up at her, and she was struck by the agony swimming through his blue-gray eyes. “Kill me, please,” he said, his voice raspy with choked emotion.

Kagome’s eyes widened at his plea, but after a moment, she shook her head. “I won’t. Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t. We need you alive to help us locate Bankotsu.”

“I won’t talk. Ratting him out will lead to nothing but suffering for everyone. You do not know what you are up against.”

“That’s a bit cliché, don’t you think?” she asked, trying to lighten the mood. His face remained stony, and she sighed. “Listen, the sooner you cooperate, the less _you’ll_ have to suffer.”

“I am already suffering! The only way to save me is to kill me!”

“That’s enough, jackass,” came a familiar, gruff voice from behind her, and Kagome squeaked before turning to see Mr. Saito standing there with his arms crossed over his chest. “She won’t fall for your pathetic little pity-party. I won’t let her.”

It took Kagome a moment to process what he was saying; she was still in shock that he was able to move despite the fact that just moments ago he had been stabbed through the chest and lost a lot of blood. 

Once her vocal chords decided to work again, she stood and turned to him. “That’s a bit rude, don’t you think?”

Yashiro blinked at the underlying sass in her tone before replying, “Listen, Miss Higurashi, I’ve been dealing with this asshole for a very, _very_ long time. He’s more bad than good, so this whole ‘kill me’ act is just that. An act.” 

His violet eyes shifted to the chained man sitting behind Kagome and his top lip pulled up into a slight snarl. “He’s playing you for a sympathy vote. Just trust me on this one.”

The fight immediately drained from her; she had every reason to trust him. He had saved her life a good number of times this evening. Besides that, this whole ordeal drastically zapped the energy right from her; she was too exhausted to argue. 

“I just don’t know _what_ to believe anymore. I’m used to the garden-variety scumbag who kills his wife for cheating on him; _this_ is not what I was expecting,” and she gestured around to the ruins of _Shikon_.

The violet-eyed man nodded and ushered her away from Suikotsu over to where a team of EMT’s were patching up an officer who had been injured while trying to secure the rambunctious psychopath. 

_I don’t recognize any of these men..._ Kagome realized when she was set down and examined by a medical official.

“Would’ve never guessed you had no idea what you were doing by the way you handled that bow and arrow. Where’d you learn to shoot like that?” Yashiro continued, easing down next to her, and it was then that she noticed the bandages wrapped snugly around his torso and the clean T-shirt he now donned.

“I was top shooter in my high school’s archery club, and I continued recreationally throughout college. I feel more comfortable with a bow than a gun, so my Captain allows me to carry both. Lucky I remembered to pack my quiver in my car, or I don’t know _what_ would have happened.”

“Guns are obnoxious pieces of equipment. I prefer something subtler,” Yashiro absently stated, and Kagome raised a brow but didn’t question him. Instead, she yelped as the crime scene medic sprayed antiseptic on her wounds. 

Yashiro chuckled before hoisting himself to standing and facing her. “The sooner we get you out of here, the better. You’ll be briefed on everything that’s going down tomorrow morning at work.”

Her eyebrows rose. “But what about Suikotsu? I should take him down to the precinct for questioning, or at least put him in holding or something...”

“It will be taken care of. All you need to concern yourself with now is going home and cleaning yourself up. You reek.” He made a face for emphasis, and Kagome growled under her breath before wincing as she stood. “Looks like you’re banged up pretty bad, but it’s nothing a good night’s rest won’t fix. It could have been a lot worse.”

Nodding her head in agreement, Kagome sheepishly admitted, “If it weren’t for you, I would be a lot worse off. Thanks...again.”

Amethyst eyes widened before he sent her a positively dazzling smile. “Don’t mention it; just doing my job. Now let’s get you home.” Offering her his arm for support, she graciously took it and together they made their way out into the chilly late-summer night.

As Yashiro walked her to her car, Kagome couldn’t help but be curious as to how he could offer to be her crutch when his injuries were far greater than her own. “How is it that the bleeding has stopped already?” she pondered aloud, looking over his wrapped chest with a skeptical eye.

She wasn’t sure why the muscles under her hand tensed, but she didn’t have time to wonder before he answered. “That medical team is the best in the city, and Suikotsu didn’t do that much damage in the first place.”

_But his claws went right through your chest...I’m almost **sure** of it..._ Deciding not to push the topic anymore for fear of upsetting her rescuer, she was almost elated when her car came into view. _I think I just need a nice, long bath and some sleep...it’ll do my sanity some good._

“This is me,” she gestured to the modest Honda Accord a few feet away, and he nodded.

“Be careful driving home. The medics gave you something to dull your pain, and it has the nasty side effect of minor drowsiness,” he said as he ushered her to her vehicle and helped her into the car. 

“Your weapons will be cleaned, repaired, and waiting for you at the precinct tomorrow morning,” he added when he saw her panicked expression at her empty back seat. “It was a pleasure working with you this evening, Miss Higurashi,” and he only hesitated for a moment before patting the roof of her car and turning to leave.

“Wait!” Kagome called, and he froze where he stood a few paces away. “Who...who _are_ you, Mr. Saito?”

Flinching, Yashiro turned to face her. She could have sworn his violet eyes shifted to gold for a moment, but she chalked it up to the pain medication and a trick of the light as he replied, “Actually…the name’s Nishimura. Yashiro Nishimura. Good night, Miss Higurashi.”

*~*~*~*~*~*

A few hours later found Yashiro dawning his leather jacket and helmet as he swung himself onto his bike. 

_This night has just gone to all kinds of hell...can’t wait to get home and get out of these bandages._ He had kept them on for Kagome’s sake, but now they were just getting itchy and annoying.

“Lord InuYasha!” came the call from an officer as he bounded toward him.

“Yo, watch it with the name!” Yashiro did a sharp look around for any possible bystanders that could have overheard. Luckily, the vicinity was void of anyone other than the cleanup crew he had called upon as per his brother’s request after the events of the evening had unfolded.

Bowing apologetically once he was in range, the man didn’t even take time to catch his breath before announcing in a hushed tone, “Lord Sesshomaru wishes to speak to you. He asks for your expedient appearance at the Western House.”

Yashiro growled. _All I wanted to do was go home and get the foul stench of blood and soot off of me! Why couldn’t Sess just call?_

Muttering a choice set of epithets under his breath, he nodded once at the officer before revving the engine of his motorcycle and gunning it out of the parking lot.

A couple of sharp turns and pissed off motorists later and Yashiro was pulling into the entrance of his brother’s mansion. Buzzing himself in at the entry gate, the iron doors had barely swung open before he was riding like the wind up the long drive, sending gravel every which way in his wake. 

Once he managed to find a place to park and stashed his bandages in the saddlebag, he shoved his helmet under his arm and made his way up the two sets of stairs that led to the elaborately-decorated front door. 

He didn’t even touch down on the top landing before the door opened to reveal a stunningly beautiful man with long, silver hair and sharp, yellow eyes. 

“The trip should have only taken you five minutes. It has been ten since I requested your company.”

Rolling his eyes, he pushed past the man and walked into the foyer like he owned the place. “Save it, Sess. I got stuck behind a student driver; can’t imagine what they were doing out at this time of night...” Sighing, Yashiro made his way into the kitchen, his brother close in tow. 

“Shouldn’t you be wearing your concealment spell? It might not have been me at the door, or I could have been followed. I would expect Your Anal Highness to be more cautious.”

Sesshuo’s eyes narrowed briefly as he watched Yashiro root through the fridge and produce two beers. “You cannot fool my nose. There is such thing as scent recognition, and you are of no threat to me.” Catching the bottle thrown at his head, he twisted open the cap and set it down on the counter before addressing his brother once more. “I understand it was Suikotsu that was causing trouble this evening at Shikon. How droll. Could the responding officers find any scent trail of Bankotsu?”

“Not a one. And trust me, we checked _everywhere_. The bastard was undetectable. It was like he wasn’t even there to begin with, aside from the ass-beating he gave Suikotsu.” 

Making his way into the large living area connected to the kitchen, Yashiro plopped down on the plush couch pushed against the wall and rested his feet against the coffee table. Sesshuo followed after him, choosing instead to sit primly on the large reclining chair opposite the couch.

Crossing one leg over the other and giving his brother a considering look, he stated, “Then the mission was a bust. He has once again evaded us.” At Yashiro’s crass grunt and slight nod, Sesshuo turned his attention to the razor-sharp nails adorning each of his nimble fingers. “There were no casualties?”

Yashiro shook his head, taking a swig of beer before looking back at the silver-haired man sitting across from him. “Everyone got out in time...except...” 

Sighing, he averted his gaze from his brother’s suddenly sharp scrutiny. “...there was an undercover agent from the TMPD working a case when the whole thing went to hell. She’s alive, but...I think she saw more than she bargained for...”

“You were not so foolish as to transform in her company,” Sesshuo demanded, his yellow eyes flashing.

Growling, Yashiro once again shook his head. “ _No_. I’m not an idiot, y’know.”

The threatening aura surrounding Sesshuo immediately calmed, and the older brother smirked as he took another sip from his drink. “To each their own opinion, I suppose.” 

In the quiet moments that followed, the two finished their drinks and returned to the kitchen to dispose of the bottles in companionable silence. As he led his brother to the door to pick up his belongings and leave, Sesshuo sighed. 

“It appears this is becoming more complex than I initially would have liked.”

Nodding his head, Yashiro shrugged into his leather jacket and reached for his helmet. “You’re telling me. This girl’s a stubborn one, too, so we’ve gotta think of something to tell her quickly before she goes sticking her nose into places it certainly doesn’t belong.” 

Weighing the decision of whether or not he should tell Sesshuo this next part, he straightened and crossed his arms over his chest. “There’s something so familiar about her, Sess. I don’t know what it is, but I swear I’ve seen her somewhere before...” Shaking his head, he bobbed his head in farewell to his brother before slipping through the doorway and making his way down the steps two at a time.

Just as he hit the bottom, he heard Sesshuo say, “I was surprised when I learned there were no signs of the Wind Scar to be found. That is unlike you, brother.”

Flipping him a less-than-friendly hand gesture, Yashiro hopped on his chopper and made a mad dash for the exit, making Sesshuo frown at the disorderly way in which he left. 

“The day he learns proper etiquette is the day the sun stops shining...”

*~*~*~*~*~*

Screaming as she bolted awake from a rather nightmarish dream, Kagome immediately regretted her action when her sore body complained. Taking a few deep breaths to calm her frazzled nerves, she looked over at her alarm clock and sighed at the early time it indicated. 

“Well, there’s no use in going back to sleep if I’m wide awake now...better get an early start on the day.” Heaving herself out of bed, she stepped up to the mirror hanging on the back of her bedroom door and inspected herself.

_A few bruises and scrapes, but nothing too bad... I’m going to be okay_ , she thought as she pushed up her tank top to examine the livid purple and yellow marks marring her sides. 

“Jeez, I sure did take a beating...not as bad as Mr. Nishimura, though...” _Mr. Nishimura..._

She was almost certain she had seen Suikotsu’s claws go right through him several times, yet he had passed it off as nothing more than a minor flesh wound. She couldn’t help but think that he wasn’t telling her something...something important...

Her buzzer sounded at that moment, and she nearly jumped right out of her skin at the loud noise. Once she managed to get her furiously beating heart under control, she threw on a robe and exited her room, padding across the living area of her small apartment to the foyer. 

Peering through the peephole to see who was knocking at this ungodly hour, she smiled and mentally smacked herself in the forehead when she saw who it was. 

_Duh! Who else would come bother me at 4 in the morning?_

Unlocking the door, she barely opened it before her visitor came rushing in, sitting on the couch and turning on the television. “No, please, come in. It’s nice to see you, too, Sango,” Kagome mumbled as she shut the door and turned to her friend, who was rapidly flipping through the channels until she landed on the local news station. 

“What are you doing here? I thought you had a date last night...”

“The guy was a jerk. He actually had the gall to ask me how much I weighed and if I would mind switching to diet Cola.” Kagome chuckled at her friend’s misfortune as she plopped down next to her and reclined, stretching to pop all of her sleepy joints back into place. “I guess that’s what I get for agreeing to a date with a dietitian. Oh, wait, shh! It’s on!” 

Smacking Kagome on the thigh, she pointed to the TV screen. Kagome’s eyes widened as she took in the destroyed building that used to be known as _Shikon_. It didn’t have a roof anymore, and the entire place was covered in dust, ashes, and soot.

“Oh my...” she murmured. _I was actually in there at one point? It doesn’t even look like the same place!_

“I know, right? Hard to believe just yesterday it was the most popular place for all of the richest, prettiest young people in Tokyo to congregate,” Sango agreed, leaning forward to hear what the reporter was saying. 

“Hey, didn’t Kaede assign you to that place last night?” Kagome slowly nodded, still bowled over by the demolished appearance of the building. “Holy hell, Kagome, so you were there when this all happened?”

Not sure how much she should tell her, Kagome cleared her throat and decided to tell her a half-truth. “Well, yes. There was an explosion, then panic, then I got swept out by the crowd of people evacuating and couldn’t get back in to investigate. I don’t really know what happened after that.” 

_Sort of true...the rest of the night kind of went by in a blur..._

Sango’s countenance turned thoughtful for a moment before she looked back up at her friend. “I’ll bet that mob boss, Bankotsu, is behind this. Cap’n did say that he used that place as a cover, right?”

_Once a detective, always a detective_ , Kagome mused as she listened to her friend offer up wild theories and conjectures about what might have happened. It was only when she started questioning where the TMPD was when all of this was going on that Kagome interrupted.

“First responders arrived after the explosions, but another group had jurisdiction over the case, so they were called off,” she responded, but didn’t say what group had arrived. She wasn’t sure _who_ they were, because they didn’t look to be NPA or any other government force she would recognize. Maybe they were a special task force...

“Well, all I know is that something is fishy in Tokyo,” Sango finally said, crossing her arms and leaning back into the couch. “Buildings don’t just explode out of nowhere, and our people should have had leading prerogative, or at least should have been allowed to help.”

Kagome nodded and stood, making an effort not to wince for fear of revealing her injuries. “I’m going to go make some tea. Would you like some?” At the young woman’s nod, she made her way into the kitchen and set her kettle on the stove. 

“Why are you even up this early if your date went so sour?” she asked, trying to avert Sango’s attention away from the story of _Shikon_.

A snort came from the other room, and a moment later, Sango was leaning against the doorway to the kitchen with her arms crossed over her chest and a smug look on her pretty face. 

“Sure, the date sucked, but he was still pretty cute, so...” Kagome immediately caught her drift.

“You slept with him! I cannot believe you - strike that, I can believe you would do something like that,” she responded, throwing an oven mitt at the brunette and laughing when she smacked it out of the way.

“Oh, please! It’s not like I’m going to go out with him again. I told him as much when I left his apartment this morning. I’m looking for the _real thing_ , Kags, and he definitely wasn’t willing to give it to me.”

Chuckling at her friend’s reaction, she followed up with, “You’ve been out of commission for a while, Miss Virtuous. When’s the last time you put your footprints on a man’s ceiling?”

“Sango!” came Kagome’s indignant shout as she set the two cups of tea on the table and glared at her friend. “Unlike _some_ people, I like to know a guy for more than just one date before jumping into bed with him!”

“What about that one guy...what was his name? Koga, I believe.”

“One drunken mistake made years ago and suddenly I’m a harlot,” Kagome mumbled as her friend continued to laugh at her misfortune. “Just because I haven’t had relations with anyone in a while is no reason to mock me. I’m fine on my own; I don’t need a man right now.” 

Unbidden, a pair of violet eyes flashed through her mind, but she didn’t dare try to make sense of the butterflies they set loose in her stomach as she stuck her tongue out at Sango. 

“Now, drink up. With all of the excitement that took place last night, we should probably get to work early. The precinct more than likely is up to its eyeballs in paperwork.”

*~*~*~*~*~*

Kagome’s statement couldn’t have been truer.

The entire precinct was abuzz with activity, most of it due to the activities that took place at _Shikon_ the previous night. As she and Sango entered the fray, they were immediately thrust into piles of paperwork that would keep them busy for a solid couple of hours. It was only a few hours in when Kaede called Kagome into her office that the woman took a moment to breathe.

Entering the decidedly simply-furnished office, Kagome was surprised to see two other people in the room situated across from her boss. She was even more surprised when she recognized one of them.

“Mr. Nishimura?” she inquired through her shock at seeing the ebony-haired Adonis standing before her looking in tip-top condition. He quirked a small smile in her direction as Kaede cleared her throat to bring attention to herself.

“Kagome, this is Sesshuo Nishimura,” the elderly woman rasped as she gestured to the taller of the two, who inclined his head at Kagome’s bow, “and I assume you have already met the younger Nishimura brother, Yashiro.”

Still in mild shock at coming face-to-face with the very man who had saved her life the previous evening, Kagome shook herself mentally before addressing her boss. “Erm, yes, uh...what’s this all about?”

“Miss Higurashi, you must, for our sake, tell us everything you witnessed last night,” Sesshuo interjected, stepping forward and somewhat overwhelming Kagome with his imposing presence. When she took more than a minute to respond, he persisted with, “It is for your safety, as well as the safety of everyone in this precinct, that you cooperate.”

“Jesus, Sess, you’re scaring the poor girl half to death!” Yashiro shoved past his brother and looked into Kagome’s eyes with a small smile on his handsome face. “Sorry about him. He can be a little intense at times. Sit down and we’ll talk this out.” Ushering her to one of the chairs set on the other side of Kaede’s desk, he took the seat beside her as Sesshuo sat on the couch against the wall. 

“Now, all we need to know is how much you saw last night.”

_How much I saw? Suikotsu went crazy and tried to kill you! That’s pretty much it!_

“Last night? Um...well...S-Suikotsu went on a rampage and started attacking you...uh...after the explosions, that is.”

“Did you see what caused the explosions?” Sesshuo interrupted, and she shook her head after thinking for a moment.

“No...it all happened too fast...er, Suikotsu stabbed you in the chest...repeatedly,” she continued, turning her attention to Yashiro, who made a face, “and he said something about a YTF. What’s that about?”

Avoiding her question, Sesshuo stood and brushed his hands down the front of his immaculate three-piece suit. “That is all we needed to hear, Miss Higurashi.” At her confused look, he smirked before making his way over to the windows surrounding Kaede’s office and closing the blinds against prying eyes. 

“I assume you would like to know just exactly what it is you have stumbled upon and how we fit into all of this. Allow me to begin by saying that there are organizations out there that differ from your average police corps and detective agencies. They are known as YTF’s...Youkai Task Forces.”

Kagome blinked up at the tall, beautiful man. “Sorry, but… youkai? Like...like ‘beware! Demon begone!’ youkai? The ones the ancient scrolls talk about?” she rambled, her brain refusing to process what she had just heard.

Sesshuo nodded as he perched himself on the arm of Yashiro’s chair. “The very same.”

She shook her head. “But...but that’s just folklore! There haven’t been documented reports of demonic existence for centuries!” She nearly laughed. This had to be a joke. They were pulling her leg; Youkai Task Forces? It was a gag! Like Ghostbusters or the people who claimed Sasquatch existed! 

By the grave looks on both Sesshuo’s and Yashiro’s faces, she quickly disregarded that notion. Massaging her temples in a preemptive attempt to ward off the headache that she could feel coming on, Kagome’s gaze rested anywhere but on the attractive duo sitting in front of her.

“Because the task forces are doing their jobs more than proficiently,” Sesshuo countered calmly, his nearly glacial facial features reading pure stoicism as his chestnut eyes remained on her. It was a bit unnerving. 

“Miss Higurashi, demons are more than just grotesque depictions in ancient scrolls and history books. They are very much real, and living among us today.”

Silence hung heavy after that statement. Kagome’s mind was not allowing any of what the older man was saying to sink in. Demons couldn’t be real. Could they? 

She had grown up in a shrine; her childhood was spent listening to her grandfather spin stories about ancient beasts called ‘youkai’ who ravished the land, ransacking villages and destroying everything in their paths. She read scrolls about mindless monsters that killed each other and innocent humans without remorse. How could such troglodytes still be roaming the earth so many years later?

“I’m sorry, but I’m having a hard time believing that beings such as mountain oni and dragon youkai actually happen to be inhabiting the same planet as us currently. Don’t you think someone would have noticed by now?” She didn’t mean to sound frantic or, dare she say, hysteric, but this wasn’t just something to drop on a person.

_“Hey, good morning. How’re you doing? Weather’s been a bit mucky lately. Oh, by the way, demons exist. Looks like it’s gonna rain again today.”_

No. That wasn’t how it worked. 

_So sue me if I’m finding this all to be a tad surreal_ , she tried to reason, wringing her hands in her lap as she finally looked up at the two men.

Yashiro exchanged a long look with his brother before turning his attention to the young woman in front of him. “Creatures that would have a harder time blending into society have been previously sealed away for hundreds of years. Surprisingly, oni aren’t the most dangerous demons out there. The ones that can easily hide themselves in with the rest of the human population are the ones that tend to cause the task forces the most trouble.” 

He could tell she was still freaking out a bit, so he reached over and lightly touched her wrist. “This is all a bit overwhelming for you, I know, but based on all that occurred last night, it seems you’re caught right in the middle of all this.”

“Caught in the middle of what?” Kagome squeaked, though she’d deny it later. What was going on? She was more confused than ever, and all she wanted now was an Aspirin for her headache and a nice, hot bath.

It was then that Sesshuo stood, long black hair swaying as if it was its own entity as he walked over to the window overlooking the park across the street from the precinct. 

“You are strong and rank far above your supposed equals. Your superiors speak very highly of you.” He nodded in Kaede’s direction - who Kagome noticed had been uncharacteristically silent throughout this encounter - and the elderly woman inclined her head in response. “We believe you would be a great asset to our forces.” Snapping shut the blinds again, he turned to her with the most intense pair of russet eyes she had ever seen. 

“Miss Higurashi, we would like you to join our Youkai Task Force.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kind of wanted to write a slightly OOC Sango for this...not sure why, it just felt right in the moment. Also, I was listening to You Say Run from My Hero Academia the entire time I was editing this, so apologies if there are any mistakes I may have missed! Show me some love, kittens!
> 
> Ciao,
> 
> Your Mistress


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More exposition, and a new challenger approaches...

Kagome just stared. This all must have been some sort of dream. Some sort of strange, strange dream. Attractive men were talking to her, which rarely happened and was very nice, but the things they were saying weren’t making any sense.

_“Demons are more than just grotesque depictions in ancient scrolls and history books. They are very much real, and living among us today.”_

_“This is all a bit overwhelming for you, I know, but based on all that occurred last night, it seems you’re caught right in the middle of all this.”_

_“Miss Higurashi, we would like you to join our Youkai Task Force.”_

It wasn’t until everyone was staring at her expectantly that she realized this wasn’t a dream. She wasn’t going to wake up in her bed and laugh this all off like some distant memory. This was very much real. And she was very much in the middle of something she shouldn’t be. 

_Oh dear..._

A few more moments passed by like hours before Yashiro cleared his throat and reached out to nudge her leg. “Um...Miss Higurashi? I’m not going to be so stupid as to ask if everything’s okay, but is there anything we can do to make this any easier on you?”

His voice seemed to snap her out of her stupor, and her head snapped up to look him square in the face, something she had struggled to do just moments before. His violet eyes reflected understanding at her inner turmoil, and he squeezed her knee to give her slight comfort before leaning back into his chair and smirking at her. 

It was strange, but instantly she felt a lot calmer than before. Whether it was from his non-threatening presence or the fact that she finally managed to catch her breath, she couldn’t say.

“Um...” she cleared her throat to get her voice to work again, “...I...I’m not quite sure what to make of all of this...I mean, up until a few minutes ago I didn’t even know demons existed!”

“As it should be,” came Kaede’s raspy voice, and Kagome jumped; that had been the first time she had spoken in quite a while. Pushing back her chair, the old woman stood and clasped her hands behind her back, looking every bit the efficient hardass of a high ranking official that she was. 

“Humans are never to know about the existence of demons. Imagine the uproar if a person found out they had been working beside a deadly okami youkai for most of his or her life. Panic would ensue.” 

Kagome watched as her boss walked around her large oak desk and came to stand before Sesshuo. A speaking glance passed between the two of them before she spoke again. 

“Not all demons are bad. Just like humans, they can be divided into good and evil. An evil youkai is far more dangerous than an evil human, however, and that is where the task forces come in.”

“So...the YTF was the group that responded to the situation at _Shikon_...” Kagome’s voice was barely above a whisper, though the shaking had subsided a bit, which was a good sign.

Yashiro nodded. “Although Suikotsu is human, the Band of Seven likes to get itself mixed up in the affairs of higher-ranking demons. For protection’s sake, if nothing else.” He grunted, shifting to cross his arms over his chest. “The bastard is stronger than most humans due to a performance-enhancing drug specifically dealt by those of youkai descent called ‘Shard’. That makes him our responsibility; the YTF, that is.”

Kagome nodded, everything finally becoming a bit easier to understand. There was just one thing that was bothering her, though... 

“Kaede, why didn’t you tell me about all of this before I started tracking down Bankotsu?”

The old woman’s jaw tightened before she sighed and shook her head. “Do you remember how adamant I was that you not take this case? I tried everything within my realm of power without causing suspicion to make you back down, but you were just as stubborn to take it, so I relented.” 

Pinching the bridge of her nose, Kaede momentarily paused before looking back up and squaring her shoulders. “As Captain of this precinct, I make it my business to investigate every type of crime I can. 

"When I was but a rookie, I found myself researching into a mysterious murder that had seemingly run cold. Things hadn’t made sense; there was a dead body, so there had to have been a killer. My superiors wrote me off as over-ambitious, but my curiosity got the better of me and I obsessed over the case for the better part of my first year. I kept pushing until I stumbled upon the YTF. They were none too pleased with my intrusion –”

“That’s an understatement,” Yashiro snorted, and when Kaede glared at him, he simply met her heated gaze as if to challenge her. After a moment, Kaede broke the stare, and with a subtle flick to the back of Yashiro’s head, she continued.

“When I moved up the ranks and eventually became who I am today, I had Mr. Nishimura and his sect of the YTF keep me informed to the various activities going on outside of the human realm. Just because I deal mainly with mortal personages does not mean I have turned a blind eye to the workings and inner mechanisms of the demon society. And now, you have become a part of this as well.” At the uncertain flicker in the young woman’s eyes, Kaede’s expression softened as the hard edges of her mouth turned up in a small smile. 

“You remind me much of myself when I was younger, Kagome. Strong-willed, stubborn, ambitious...never taking no for an answer,” Kagome blushed at the praise despite herself, “which is why I have no doubt that you will be able to handle this new development.”

“Ma’am?” Kagome couldn’t help but still be hesitant, and Kaede knew that. When the older woman patted her on the shoulder, it gave her the final little morale boost she needed to make her decision. Standing abruptly and urging the flush that had risen to her cheeks to stay at bay, she took in a deep breath before walking determinedly over to Sesshuo and bowing deeply. 

“Sir, I would be honored to join your Youkai Task Force,” and it felt like a collective breath had finally been released in the room, making the environment infinitely less tense.

Sesshuo gave the woman a stern look for a moment, gaze seeming to look through skin and bone straight to her soul, but at his slight nod, Kagome finally straightened and sighed her relief. 

_I can’t believe I just did that..._

And then the weight of her decision finally came crashing down on her.

“I still would like to work from my precinct, if you wouldn’t mind too much,” she said steadily enough, her voice not cracking at her best efforts. “It is, after all, my home, and I would miss it too much.”

Yashiro stood behind her and stretched his arms above his head. “Of course, Miss Higurashi. You are still allowed to work from this building, but instead of the normal cases that you usually are assigned to, you will be dealing with things that are...shall we say of the more _para_ normal variety?” 

He smirked down at her and she fought back another blush. He sure was handsome when he smiled like that. “While Kaede will still be your boss, you will also answer to Sesshuo as well. You will also be assigned a partner from the YTF that will aide in your investigations.”

Kagome nodded eagerly and turned her attention to Sesshuo, who was contemplating his fingernails, as if stricken bored by the conversation already. “Since you were so obdurate about taking the Band of Seven case, you will continue with that. I am sure you are aware by now that our main objective is to bring Bankotsu Takeshi into our custody and charge all of his known associates.” 

In a very business-like manner, Sesshuo briskly stepped around Kagome and Yashiro and grabbed the briefcase Kagome hadn’t noticed until this moment was leaning against Kaede’s desk. “If you would like, I will allow you to sit in on the interrogation of Suikotsu. It will give you a chance to work alongside a seasoned member of the YTF and get a feel for the job.”

Almost excited by the prospect, Kagome turned to Kaede to silently ask permission to leave. The old woman’s smile may have grown a bit as she nodded in an amused fashion. 

“Who will be the ‘seasoned member’ I will be working with?” she asked, all of her previous doubt and internal struggle nearly nonexistent as she scrambled out of the room and followed after Sesshuo.

She didn’t understand why the man rolled his eyes until she felt someone nudge her shoulder. “That’d be me,” Yashiro claimed with a smirk, his unique eyes sparkling as Kagome’s expression mirrored a mixture of mild shock and anticipation.

“Oh! So you have a lot of experience working in the YTF? You’re so young, though…”

Yashiro snorted. “Not as young as you’d think…” he mumbled underneath his breath before straightening and huffing his bangs out of his eyes. “Family business; my old man was the one who founded the YTF. Sess and I are keeping the bloodline going…”

“With you in the gene pool, it’s a wonder our bloodline hasn’t died out yet…” Sesshuo grumbled, holding the door for Kagome as Yashiro helped her shrug into her coat. She blushed at the thoughtfulness of the two gentlemen.

_Well, their father must have taught them something right if they’re being this polite to a lady_ , she thought in amusement, noticing the several jealous glances shot her way from the various females they walked past on their way out of the precinct as the brothers bickered over whose car Kagome would ride in.

“Um...fellas? I can drive myself,” she spoke up, but she was ignored by an indignant Yashiro and a bemused Sesshuo.

“She barely knows you! Plus you didn’t help yourself by scaring the hell out of her back there. It would be better if she went with somebody she’s better acquainted with!”

“Keep in mind your ‘acquaintanceship’ was built from the destruction of an important building barely a few hours ago.”

“Whatever! She’s coming with me!”

“So long as you provide her with a barf bag in case she vomits due to your daredevil maneuvering. You insisted on bringing the chopper today, remember.”

“Better than having her fall asleep in the passenger seat! You drive slower than a senile old woman!”

“Watch your tongue, whelp.”

“Don’t tell me what to do, jerkoff!”

“Boys!” Kagome finally shouted, stepping between the feuding duo and placing a placating hand on each of their chests. They looked like they were about ready to tear off their shirts and take each other out right in the middle of the sidewalk. 

People were giving them strange looks, and Kagome was starting to feel a bit uncomfortable and a tad neglected. “I _do_ have my own car, y’know. I don’t need a ride from either of you.” She tried her hardest to look as firm as she could while being dwarfed by the two tall presences bookending her on either side.

Sesshuo looked almost stunned at the fact that Kagome had the gall to touch him, but his expression soon mirrored disinterest and slight annoyance as he stepped out of the range of her reach. 

“While we do not doubt your capability of providing yourself with transportation, it is purely for your own safety and self-preservation that I must insist you accompany one of us to the base.”

Kagome’s brow rose at his formality, and she deferred her questioning gaze to Yashiro for further explanation. He sighed and scratched the back of his head, not at all put off by the fact that her hand was still pressed firmly against his sternum. 

“The YTF doesn’t take too kindly to strangers, and you’d be put through a special brand of security measures to make sure you are of no threat…”

“A scent confirmation and strip search are among some of the precautions our youkai guards take,” Sesshuo finished bluntly, and Kagome cringed.

“Scent confirmation?” she repeated, not liking the sound of such a thing.

Yashiro nodded as he grabbed hold of her wrist and pulled her in the direction of his motorcycle. “As sneaky as a person thinks they are when wearing a disguise, you can’t hide anything from a demon’s nose. If you’re concealing weapons or are of any threat to our corporation, your scent will be your tell.” 

He tapped his nose for emphasis, and Kagome nodded slowly. Over her head, Sesshuo shot him a warning glare at his action before sighing and flipping his long hair over his shoulder.

“It is for the best that you go with Yashiro. I have to make a few stops before joining you at the base, anyway, so it works out in my best interest this way,” he stated dryly as he turned on his heel and left en route for his car.

Kagome was barely paying attention to what he was saying as her mind continued to roll over the concept of ‘scent confirmations’ and other various things she had yet to understand until this point. She was in way over her head. What had she been thinking, agreeing to this? Still…

She couldn’t help herself. Something about this was so dangerous and exciting...her father had always said she was an adrenaline junkie. There was a certain thrill involved with this spontaneous decision, an almost overwhelming need to investigate and observe this new and exhilarating turn of events in her life. And besides, Kaede had given her approval; her boss wouldn’t so willingly send her into something if she didn’t think Kagome was more than capable of handling it.

“You alright, there, girlie? You look lost in thought,” Yashiro’s rough voice brought her out of her mind and back into the present. Her stomach dropped at the sight of him, straddling the metal and chrome death machine known as a motorcycle, an arm outstretched for her to join him.

She backed away. “Maybe I should go with Sesshuo…”

Yashiro quirked a brow at her reaction, then rolled his eyes and shook his head. “No way. Just hop on. I promise, I’ll go slow.”

An image of him saying much the same thing to her before a slightly more _intimate_ activity flashed unbidden behind her lids before she shook the perverted notion and crossed her arms stubbornly. 

“I’m not really big into the whole motorcycle scene.” She wasn’t going to tell him why. There was no need to burden this stranger with her problems.

Aforementioned stranger sucked his teeth and mirrored her stance. “Alright, I’m not asking; I’m telling: get on the bike, Miss Higurashi.”

“No! And you can’t tell me what to do.” She realized she was being childish, but she couldn’t bring herself to care as she harrumphed and took another step back.

Yashiro chuckled despite himself; she looked so cute with her nose upturned and a firm pout on her luscious lips. If she had cat ears, they would be drooping right now. 

He really didn’t have the time nor the patience to argue, however, so without further delay, he extended his long arms toward her - faster than it would have taken her to warrant a reaction - and grabbed her around the waist.

“H-hey! What are you-” but she couldn’t even finish her statement as the strong arms wrapped around her yanked her quite forcefully onto the back of Yashiro’s bike. Blushing as red as a fire hydrant, Kagome couldn’t even muster up a half-hearted fight as the scooped back of the seat caused her to slide firmly into the handsome man’s solid warmth.

_Whatever you do, don’t squeak...whatever you do, don’t squeak...whatever you do, don’t –_

“Eep!” her mantra was broken when Yashiro reached back and severed the distance between the two of them even further by hooking her arms around his hard body and closing her fists around the front of his leather jacket.

“You’re gonna have to hold on tight, baka, or you’ll end up falling off.” Yashiro shook his head in amusement before turning back and setting his helmet on her head. He couldn’t help but chuckle when the protective gear slid down past her chin; it was too big for her, and the adorable picture it produced took all of the threat out of her rigid, stewing presence. 

“Now, be a good girl and relax; if you stay all stiff like that it’ll throw off my balance.” With something that sounded suspiciously like a growl, Kagome obeyed, leaning into him from behind with her fingers clenching the fabric of his jacket like a vice.

Yashiro let out a sigh and tried to shake the rush he got from her nearness. When her breath hit the back of his neck he nearly lost it, but he managed to regain enough control of himself to flick back the kickstand and speed out of the lot at full throttle, causing Kagome to nearly squash herself against him, much to his involuntary delight.

The sound of the blaring engine drowned out the girl’s terrified scream.

*~*~*~*~*

Upon arriving at what she presumed was Tokyo’s YTF headquarters, Kagome let out a sigh of relief when Yashiro finally clicked back the kickstand and silenced the bike’s roaring engine. 

The entire ride there had been a blur to her, namely because she had been clutching onto Yashiro so tightly her knuckles were white and her eyes had been scrunched closed the entire time. The worst had been when Yashiro sped around the levels of the parking garage until they eventually found a spot on the third story, laying on the brakes at the turns and then speeding along the straightaways like hell was nipping at their heels; her head was still spinning from the rush!

Yashiro, for his part, was in a bit of a fix. _The girl’s gotta let go and get off of me sooner rather than later, or I won’t be held responsible for what comes next._

Kagome’s scent had swarmed his senses from the moment she mounted the vehicle, and it made for some pretty tricky maneuvering when he almost missed a quintessential turn and had to cut through three lanes of traffic to reorient himself. 

_She smells fucking amazing…especially when she’s...oh, hell, no._

It appeared the proximity had not gone unnoticed by the young ningen detective, for when he took a deep inhale of her scent to make sure she wasn’t as frightened as her shaking hands would indicate, he was nearly smacked in the face by her slight – yet heightened – arousal. It was only when his body started to react to this new, highly tantalizing smell that he quickly dismounted and paced a few steps away from the vehicle.

“Mr. Nishimura?” came Kagome’s curious entreaty as she watched him fume for a few fleeting moments before he turned blazing heliotrope eyes on her. She was stunned into silence by his intense, almost predatory gaze and shifted uncomfortably on the leather bike seat. 

_He’s so handsome…_

She had tried to focus on things other than the fact that she was riding on the back of a steel death trap when they were en route to their destination, and she found herself distracted by the hard muscles of Yashiro’s back expanding and contracting every time he breathed. His lithe frame moved seamlessly through the transitions with each turn and movement of his motorcycle, and to further distract herself, her mind wandered as she curiously pondered his agility in other areas. The image remained burned behind her eyelids even after they came to a complete stop at the YTF headquarters.

The thought brought a blush to her cheeks. _I can’t believe I was thinking about that...this is a professional relationship, baka girl! No room for dirty thoughts when there’s work to be done!_

She gave barely a thought to the notion of being able to have both before reaching out her hand and asking, “Do you think that you could help me off this thing? I don’t really trust my legs right now, and I’d probably trip and fall flat on my face.”

Snapping out of his tumultuous thoughts that included throwing himself off the top story of the parking enclosure or dunking himself in the no-doubt freezing water of the duck pond out back, Yashiro gave himself a shake and chuckled. 

“While I’ll admit that would certainly be an entertaining way to start my day…” he trailed off as he took her hand and hoisted her up off of the saddle.

Though momentarily distracted by how neatly her warm little hand fit within his larger, rougher one, he was brought to pause by the tiniest susurration of nerve endings indicating trouble, and he only had the briefest of moments to ponder the sensation before he heard Kagome gasp.

“Is that _hair_?”

Yashiro followed her startled line of sight, then grunted as something small and sharp sliced through the exposed skin above his left eyebrow.

“ _Fuck_ , what the _hell_?”

“Be _careful_ , Mr. Nishimura! It’s…it’s _everywhere_!”

He wasn’t entirely sure what she was talking about, but he had no reason not to follow her instruction as she indicated he duck down.

“ _What’s_ everywhere, Miss Higurashi?”

“You mean…you can’t see it?”

“See _what_?”

“My, my…this little conversation doesn’t seem to be going anywhere!” a third voice sing-songed from the shadows, and out of reflex Yashiro moved to shove Kagome behind him, cursing as the sudden movement landed a harsh slash to the inside of his wrist.

_What the fuck is going on?_

“Who the hell are you? Show yourself!” he shouted, scanning the empty level of the parking garage for the owner of the sultry, feminine voice. 

_I can sense her jyaki from here, but I can’t pick up a scent or see her anywhere…dammit, her demonic aura is off the fucking charts! Not good…_

“Such language! Didn’t your mother teach you how to talk to a lady?” the voice asked, and it sounded much closer than before.

Kagome trembled from behind him. “Mr. Nishimura…”

He briefed a glance at her, momentarily ceasing his assessment of the terrain. “What is it, Kagome?” He hoped she would forgive his momentary lapse in formalities under the given circumstances.

She shuddered again and pointed ahead of them.

Yashiro followed the line of her finger just in time to witness the glare of a sword blade being brandished…and headed straight for the two of them!

In a flash, and utilizing reflexes far faster than the ordinary, Yashiro grabbed a hold of Kagome in one hand, yanked himself out of his motorcycle jacket with the other, wrapped it around her shaking form, and shoved her out of the line of fire all within the span of time it took for her to scream. He cursed as the sword sunk to the hilt into his back, making a sickening squelching noise as it twisted against his shoulder blade before yanking free.

Kagome shouted something at him over the ringing in his ears, and he turned just in time to see the flash of the sword coming down in a winding arc intended to take his head off in one clean blow. The strange thing about it was – the sword didn’t seem to be wielded by anyone. It looked as though it was floating through the air of its own accord.

Dodging the blade in a swift movement, Yashiro tucked and rolled to the side and took a low, defensive stance, noting that above Kagome’s shouts and the rapid beating of his own heart, he could hear what sounded like tightened strings of a violin rubbing against one another in a squeaking rhythm.

_Hair…_

“Fucking hell, not this bitch,” he growled, keeping his eyes – and ears – poised for anymore sneak attacks. “Come out here and face me, Yura! I know it’s you!”

“What a smart little doggy you are, InuYasha! Give the dog a bone!”

A strikingly beautiful woman donning a leather jacket and knee-high stiletto boots stepped out from the shadows of the elevator bay, ruby red lips turned upward in a taunting smile and scarlet eyes shining with seductive malice. Her hands were in her pockets and her stroll was leisurely, as if she wasn’t threatened at all by either of their presences. Holding her bangs back was a delicate red comb, and Kagome gasped.

“It’s… _attached_ to the comb!”

Yashiro assumed she was referring to the strands of hair creating a web around the three of them, the hair that only she could see.

_Odd…how the hell is that possible? I can only barely hear the strands rubbing together, yet her human eyes can pick up on Yura’s hair better than mine?_

Shaking the thoughts from his head to deal with at a more convenient time, Yashiro rounded on the newcomer, inching ever-closer to Kagome while never taking his gaze off of Yura.

“What do you want with us, Yura? My brother has made it more than clear that you are not welcome on these lands anymore.”

“ _La_ , oh yes. That mean old dog barked and barked until I was forced to retreat, but I’ve found some rather enticing reasons to return!” 

In a stunning display of agility and grace, the young woman sped toward them, flipping through the space separating the three of them and landing daintily midair on a precariously-placed strand of hair. 

“There’s a hefty bounty on your head, half-breed, and I’ve come to collect.”

“A bounty, eh?” InuYasha snorted mirthlessly, eyeing the distance between himself and Kagome and calculating how much time he’d have to stall in order to get to her before Yura launched another attack. “So the great and powerful Yura of the Hair is working under someone, after all? I thought you preferred working with the dead. Something about them submitting without a struggle?”

“Insolent mongrel!” Yura spat, toeing along the air like an acrobat on an invisible tight wire. “I work for nobody but myself! Once Bankotsu gives me my money for delivering your head on a silver platter, I’ll slaughter the lot of them! Besides,” she purred, running her sinuous gaze up and down the expanse of Yashiro’s body, “those buffoons wouldn’t know what to do with all of that beautiful hair. Be a darling and drop your concealment spell for me; your natural color suites my needs much better.”

Yashiro resisted the urge to shudder at her vulgar insinuation, then cringed as he heard Kagome’s sharp intake of breath.

 _Gonna have a lot of explaining to do once we get out of this…_ As if on cue, the wound in his shoulder pulsed painfully. _**If** we get out of this…_

“So Bankotsu put you up to this, huh? What does he hope putting a bounty on my head will accomplish? You ain’t getting Suikotsu back, regardless of what happens to me. You should know how Sesshuo works by now!”

“It doesn’t much matter to me, dear,” Yura replied, examining her sharp red nails, “I don’t really care either way what happens to you or Suikotsu, so long as I get my money. Business is business, so if you’d just let me kill you now, I’ll be on my way!”

Yashiro barely had time to dodge the sudden attack from the wielder-less sword, but his evasive tumble was intercepted by a plethora of razor-sharp wire-like hairs looping around his wrists, ankles, torso and neck and stringing him up like a marionette. The sword dealt a crippling blow to the backs of his knees, and he gnashed his fangs as the blade tore through the thin material of his t-shirt. 

Kagome, for her part, was stunned into silence. Yashiro claimed he couldn’t see the strands of hair dancing around in the breeze and attached to this Yura’s comb, a comb she was currently twining between her fingers in an effort to bind Yashiro. Kagome fingered the tough leather of his motorcycle jacket, whimpering as blood soaked through his shirt from the large wounds inflicted upon him by the phantom sword.

Squinting, Kagome noticed that the sword was held in the air by a few precarious strands of hair, and, finally coming back to her senses and swallowing her fear in favor of remembering her training, she reached down to unstrap the holster at her waist.

_I wonder…darn! I wish I had had time to grab my bow and arrows before leaving the precinct…_

Drawing her weapon, she leveled it at the strands of hair carrying the sharp blade through the air – en route for Yashiro’s chest to pierce his heart – and, within the space of one heartbeat and the next, squeezed the trigger and shot off two rounds at her target.

The sound of the shots rang out in the enclosed space, and Yashiro winced as the bullets whirled through the air.

_Stupid girl…regular bullets aren’t going to be able to…holy fuck!_

In the split second it took for a regular person to blink, and just before making contact with the demon sword, the bullets took on a startling fuchsia tint, and the moment they hit their mark, everything exploded into a striking display of pink sparks.

Silence followed, the only sound the clattering of the sword falling to the ground, no longer held in the air by the invisible strands.

Yashiro stared wide-eyed, shifting his gaze from the air where the weapon had just moments ago been hanging, to Kagome – gun still raised – and back again. Yura took less time to digest what had happened.

“Why you little _bitch_! How _dare_ you try to purify my babies?!”

Kagome took in a wobbly breath and leveled her Glock at the imposing presence still poised in the air on her high wire.

“My name is Detective Kagome Higurashi of the TMPD. You are under arrest for trespassing and the attempted murder of an officer. Put your hands up and walk slowly toward me. Don’t make any sudden moves, or I _will_ fire again.”

Yura deadpanned. “The bounty on your head isn’t nearly as high as InuYasha’s, and they want you _alive_. That’s just not my style.”

In a flash, she pounced, flipping through the air and knocking Kagome off her feet as she roughly tugged the gun straight from her hands. Yura landed on top of the distraught young woman and bared pointed fangs.

“Perhaps I’ll just rip your throat out instead. With InuYasha’s bounty, I will be sitting pretty for quite a while. You are of no use to me.” She clenched Kagome’s slender throat between pointed talons and pulled back her other hand to drive into the woman’s chest. “Do me a favor and scream for me, girlie?” she purred as her claws made to pierce her heart.

And Kagome _screamed_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like it's not a proper modern-day AU unless InuYasha's preferred choice of transportation is a motorcycle... hope you guys enjoyed reading the scenes with Yura as much as I enjoyed writing them! She's so much fun to write. More action to come, my kittens! Please leave some love; InuYasha and Kagome could sure use it after this chapter.
> 
> Ciao,
> 
> Your Mistress


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kagome once again has to wonder: is she getting in way over her head?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, everyone, for your kind comments and words of encouragement!

Yashiro watched in horror as Yura struck Kagome down and swiftly left her defenseless, tossing her Glock across the empty lot to clatter on the ground over fifty feet away. He growled and went back to working at freeing himself from his tight, wire-like binds.

_Tetsusaiga is strapped to my chopper…if I can just get to it before –_

Kagome’s scream had his stomach bottoming out and his blood running cold, and in a last-ditch effort to save her, he dug his concealed claws into the wound in his shoulder.

“ _Hijin Kesso!_ ” he croaked, creating as large an arch as he could with his limited movement and attempting to aim his attack at the crouched Yura.

Her jyaki deflected all but one of the five deadly arcs, which slashed into the leather of her jacket and did no more to detract her attention from her prey.

Yashiro was rearing back for another desperate attack when another scream pierced the air, and his ears pinned to his head and an involuntary yelp escaped him as he immediately assumed the worst: that Kagome had just been gored by this demonic woman.

_I’ll send that bitch straight to the fifth hell for this! I was supposed to protect Kagome, and now she’s –_

His thoughts were once again interrupted by a brilliant eruption of pink light followed by another scream – this time he was certain it came from Yura, as did the last – and the smell of burning flesh had him whipping his gaze to the two entangled women and zeroing in on what was taking place. 

The secondary wave of spiritual energy that blew past him was not what he was expecting, and he immediately cursed as he felt his concealment spell peel back and his ears and fangs melt into their human form.

Thoroughly purified, and not very much enjoying the fact that he could now feel _every single one_ of his injuries to the fullest, Yashiro shook his head of the ringing in his ears and hazarded a glance back toward where Kagome and Yura had just been.

The young woman lay deathly still, her own blood painted across her pallid skin and ripped t-shirt from where Yura’s claws had attempted to stab her. The wounds looked superficial, as if before she was able to tear out her chest cavity the demon had been forcefully removed from her person. After a moment of heavy assessment, he noted Kagome’s shallow breathing, indicating she was alive, if unconscious.

Shifting his attention to Yura, who was now crouched several meters away, he noted she was steaming as if she had just moments ago been set on fire. She was nursing two smoking stumps, her arms having been vaporized up to the elbow, and burn marks streaked across her once beautiful features.

“The _bastard_. Bankotsu said nothing about the girl being a strong priestess,” she muttered, then snapped her rage-filled ruby gaze up at Yashiro, still dangling in the air helplessly. “No matter – I will deal with her _after_ I kill you, half-breed!”

Yashiro renewed his struggling as the demoness moved to stalk her prey, though he was essentially for all intents and purposes thoroughly _fucked_.

_Wherever that huge blast of spiritual energy came from, it did a pretty solid job of screwing my chances in this fight._

Cursing his diminished strength, he had just managed to free one of his arms in a bloody struggle when he was quite harshly forced to his knees by the hairs attached to the comb clasped between Yura’s sharp teeth.

“You will not escape. I do not need arms to finish you off, mongrel – not with my endless supply of hair on my side,” she growled around the comb, gesturing and grinning wickedly as her sword was once again flying through the air to hover menacingly under Yashiro’s exposed jugular.

He braced himself for impact, but it never came.

Instead, Yura was suddenly and quite literally tackled from the side by a very awake, very aggressive Kagome.

The hair restraining Yashiro slackened, and he fell forward onto his hands as he was finally in control of his own body again. He hacked up a generous amount of blood and fought against the black spots crowding his vision in time to watch as Kagome landed on top of Yura and reared back to punch her in the face. Without hands, the demoness was incapable of deflecting the blow, and with Kagome’s weight situated tightly against her midsection, she couldn’t bring her legs up to kick the girl off as she brought her fist down again.

"Mr. Nishimura!” Kagome called as Yura attempted to struggle her way out from under her, using her superior strength to force her hips upward and forcing Kagome to tighten her knees around her slim frame. “Grab the comb! That’s where the hairs all connect! No comb, no power!”

Yashiro gurgled what was supposed to be a response as he scrambled over to where Kagome had thrown Yura’s comb. He paused only a second as Yura succeeded in throwing Kagome off of her, but when she looked poised to tear into the girl with her fangs, he made a split decision and not only apprehended the comb; he snapped it clean in two.

Yura’s scream bounced off the walls of the parking garage, and Kagome tucked and rolled away as the demoness was reduced to ashes before their very eyes. Quite suddenly, everything became deathly silent, the only sounds being their breathing and the wind carrying motes of dust and ash across the concrete floor of the enclosure.

Yashiro wiped errant sweat and blood from his eyes before his body – his very human body, now – gave, and he collapsed onto his back after hacking up a considerable amount of blood. Casting his arms out to his sides, he didn’t have the energy to be shocked when a small pair of hands surrounded one of his and clutched it to a leather-clad chest.

“Mr. Nishimura... _Mr. Nishimura_. Oh, please, Yashiro!” Kagome called, shaking him as his blinking became labored. He mumbled something about being fine, about just needing rest, and the cop in her reasoned that he was going into shock. 

His breathing was coming shallower and shallower, so she swung a leg over his torso and knelt over him to get a better check on his vitals. Feeling for a pulse, she found it barely beating against the two fingers she had pressed against his throat. Pushing the fear and frustration aside, she clenched her fists against his sternum and pumped up and down a few beats.

“C’mon. _C’mon_. Stay with me; don’t you _dare_ close your eyes,” she said through her tears, as if he could hear her. Despite his best efforts, he was quickly blacking out.

Kagome leaned over, pinched his nose and tilted his chin up, and breathed a few quick breaths into his mouth, trying not to become disconcerted by how cold his lips were.

So distracted was she with her makeshift attempt at CPR that she didn’t notice the battalion of men and women storming toward where the two of them were in the middle of the parking structure. Heading the group was Sesshuo, walking at a slightly brisker pace than the rest and subtly scanning the building for further sign of a threat.

When the group stopped a few meters from where Kagome and Yashiro were sprawled, the young woman finally turned to face them, blood smeared across her face and a horror-stricken expression rising in her hazel eyes as she connected gazes with the elder brother of the man she was currently trying to save.

“He’s…he’s not responding…” she managed, moving to kneel beside him and cradle his head in her lap. She protectively moved him closer toward her as a strange man with black hair pulled back into a tail at the nape of his neck and several ear piercings stepped forward.

“Detective? Please, I can help. My name is Miroku.”

The man smiled at her, and his blue eyes radiated kindness and zero intent to cause harm as far as Kagome could register, so with only another brief second of hesitation, she nodded and allowed the young man to take Yashiro.

“Yash, buddy, can you hear me?” Miroku asked, looping the slightly taller man’s arm around his shoulders and hoisting him up into some semblance of a standing position. “We’re gonna get you to the infirmary, okay? Ayame will patch you up good and tight.”

With a wayward glance in Kagome’s direction and a reassuring wink, he lifted the mumbling, protesting Yashiro more firmly onto his feet and began a slow gait in the direction of the YTF building.

Kagome watched after them, a hand cupped over her mouth to mask the sudden urge to either sob or vomit – she wasn’t exactly sure what her body had in store for her at the moment. Whatever it was, she swallowed it down and moved to stand on shaky feet. She was shocked when Sesshuo reached down to help her up, not figuring him to be much of the chivalrous type. Or one to voluntarily get blood on his hands, she noted as the red, slightly crusted over liquid transferred from her hand to his as he hoisted her to her feet.

“Miss Higurashi…you two seemed to have had quite the eventful drive over here,” he mused, sweeping an errant swirl of glistening dust off the cuff of his tailored suit. His eyes paused on the greasy pile of ash still smeared across the concrete, in the vague silhouette of a person, and he quirked a delicate brow.

Kagome took a moment to collect herself, smoothed her hair and tried to make herself more presentable. “Yes, well,” she cleared her throat, “after we parked, we were attacked by a demon…I think she said her name was Yura of the Hair.” Sesshuo’s eyes may have widened a bit, though she couldn’t be certain.

“Yura of the Hair. Interesting. She has not caused this task force trouble for quite some time.” Centuries, in fact, though she didn’t need to know that.

With a delicate nod in the direction of the mess, the large mob of people behind him got to work cleaning up and investigating the crime scene. A man in Forensics garb went about tweezing her bullet slugs out of the garage wall, which caused Sesshuo to clear his throat.

“I assume it was a lawful shooting.”

“Oh! Yessir, I actually didn’t shoot at the perp…” That piqued his interest, and he turned a curious chestnut glance down at her. She shrank away from his intense gaze for a moment before bolstering herself and squaring her shoulders to stand taller.

“The demon was, um, controlling her weapon with strands of hair. So I shot at the hair to sever contact with her sword.”

This time Sesshuo’s eyebrows _might_ have jumped ever so slightly toward his hairline, but he quickly turned away from her to survey the crime scene, so she couldn’t be sure.

Sesshuo took note of the heavy amount of reiki still crackling through the air, the spiritual energy surrounding the slugs currently encased in plastic evidence bags, and the pink aura still haloing the young woman standing beside him. 

He also noted her relatively clueless attitude and figured, _a conversation for another time, then._

“Detective Higurashi, you look as though you could use a trip to the infirmary as well,” Sesshuo pointed out, indicating the dried blood on her shirt and the quite livid bruise marks around her throat.

As if she could feel him looking at them, she brought her hand up to rub across her neck and nodded. “Yes, that sounds like a good idea. But um…Mr. Nishimura, there’s something…”

“What is it, Detective?” Sesshuo asked absently, already heading in the direction of the crime scene and leaving her with whom she assumed was an escort.

Kagome took a staggering step forward. “Yura…is dead. It was a lawful killing, out of defense to save my life, but…Yashiro killed her by…breaking her comb in two…”

Sesshuo stopped, pausing as if to assess the situation for a moment before turning to face Kagome with an impassive countenance.

“And that is shocking to you.” It was not a question.

“Well…yeah! It was a comb!”

“A comb in which her soul was twined.” When Kagome did no more than blink owlishly at him, he cleared his throat and took a few steps closer to her.

“Miss Higurashi, I understand what you just witnessed may seem a bit…foreign to you, but I assure you that it is by far not the strangest thing you will see in your time here at the YTF, so while I perceive it may take you a little more time to process this, I expect nothing short of professional discretion for future cases.”

He sounded almost annoyed with her, and she straightened smartly under his sharp gaze, swallowing the thousand or so other questions she had poised on the tip of her tongue. 

“Am I understood?”

Taking a moment to collect herself, she gave him as crisp a salute as she could muster in her pained state. “Yessir.”

He took in her fatigue and the small cringe she thought she hid when she brought her hand down and only nodded once, adding this to the growing list of conversations to save for a later date.

“You are dismissed.”

She nodded and turned to leave.

“Oh, and Detective?” She paused and half-turned in his direction. “My brother will be fine. You have no need to worry.”

*~*~*~*~*  
“Honestly, Miroku, I’m fine. You don’t need to stay down here with me,” Yashiro griped for the fifteenth time from his place brooding on a cot in the sick bay.

Miroku laughed and swung onto the twin beside his partner’s. “Tell that to the three cracked ribs, five or so deep lacerations and multiple contusions marking up your body like the world’s most disappointing set of tattoos.”

As if to demonstrate, he poked a rather large yellow and purple bruise spreading across his chest, and Yashiro tried to hide a wince. “I’ll bet this one hurts like hell without your demon blood to heal it up right away.”

Just then the task force’s best medic walked in with a clipboard under one arm, a tray of various assortments of ointments and swabs balanced in the other. While she settled everything on the rolling cart beside Yashiro’s bed, Miroku addressed her.

“Hey, Ayame. Any idea how long it’ll take for his youki to return?”

The pretty redhead looked up from her notes and thought for a moment. “Well, since I’m not sure exactly when he was purified – or by what, for that matter – I can only give a rough estimate, but based on the rate in which his injuries are already healing themselves – Miro, _off_ the bed, I _just_ cleaned everything!” 

As she was talking, she was moving around Yashiro’s cot, checking the various machines attached to his person, testing his vitals, and she side-stepped to swat Miroku upside the head with her clipboard when he took to settling into the bed beside the two of them.

When he yipped and jumped off the cot like it was on fire, she continued. “As I was saying, based on the way his injuries are already trying to heal themselves, I’d say we have about an hour or so until we have our puppy back.”

Yashiro growled, baring dull teeth as Ayame injected him with some sort of vaccine. “Do you at least have a guess as to what did this to me?”

That slowed her down, and she took a step back to look at him more fully. “Well…why don’t you tell me? What happened out there?”

Miroku, now leaning on the wall across from the two of them, shifted to give him his full attention, and Yashiro cleared his throat and looked down at the IV in his arm, as if that had all the answers.

“I…don’t really remember. Yura had me strung up like a fucking doll one second, and she was going to kill Detective Higurashi…then, all of the sudden, boom – I’m smacked in the face by this huge wave of spiritual energy, and I’m in an insane amount of pain.”

His audience was silent for a long time, watching as he clenched and unclenched his fist multiple times to distract himself. If he had his dog ears at the moment, they’d be pinned to his head in deep thought.

Finally, Miroku broke the silence and stepped forward. “I have a theory, but I’m satisfied to let it remain in thought for the time being. I’m very interested to see how this all plays out.”

“When are you ever _not_ working an angle, Miroku?” Ayame quipped as she went back to caring for Yashiro, who was still disconcertingly quiet.

The handsome young man pulled a rather convincing offended expression. “I am appalled at your insinuation!” He let his statement sit for a moment, then he chuckled and took another step forward to stand behind her as she redressed the bandage on Yashiro’s arm. 

“There are, of course, several angles I would like to try with you, Miss Gushiken.”

Ayame rolled her eyes and shoved him out of her way. “Oh, please. Really, Miro? You wanna maybe try and be useful instead of hitting on me? What’s next, asking me to bear your children?”

“Quite a barbaric accusation, Miss Gushiken,” Miroku said as he moved the light hanging from the ceiling closer so Ayame could check the stitches in Yashiro’s shoulder.

A moment of silence passed between the two of them before Miroku smirked. “So, would you like to bear my children?”

All the while through their bickering, Yashiro was stewing within his own mind.

_I fucking **saw** those bullets glow pink before they took out Yura’s sword! And I’m almost positive Kagome was glowing like a big pink traffic cone before I passed out._

It wasn’t unheard of, priestesses in this era. Or priests, for that matter. Miroku was a practicing monk, making him quite the asset at the YTF when it came to possession cases and exorcisms. Heck, Captain Kaede herself had a bit of miko blood running through her veins, which was why her discovery of the youkai world wasn’t quite as worrisome as it ought to have been.

What baffled Yashiro was why Kagome hadn’t told him. He was sure that would have been on her shortlist, yet a part of him wondered if _she_ even knew she had spiritual powers.

That wasn’t so unheard of, either, he reasoned. Some of the most powerful miko he had known in his extensive life hadn’t awakened until they were in their late twenties, making the surprise arrival of Kagome’s powers at this time in her life plausible. And considering the practice of reiki and spirituality was somewhat of a dying art in this time period, he couldn’t say he was all that shocked that she was unaware of her miko abilities. Still, he couldn’t be sure what he had seen had even come from Kagome.

Shaking his head, he decided he needed to wait until his demon blood came back to heal the rest of his injuries and go talk to Sesshuo before he thought about this any further. Like Miroku, he, too, had a theory, but he wasn’t ready to test it just yet.

Just as he came to that conclusion, the double doors to the infirmary opened, and Kagome was escorted in by two stacks of muscle in all black suits and matching Ray-Bans. The poor girl looked a cross between exhausted and miserable, but the second she laid eyes on Yashiro – awake and healing properly – she brightened instantly and trotted over to where he was laying.

“You’re okay!” she said, and her smile was contagious.

“It’s gonna take a lot more than a few strands of hair to take me down.” He shrugged heroically, fighting off the urge to wince as his stitches pulled. The small smirk he bestowed her seemed to placate her worries, and she moved to sit on the cot beside him.

Ayame rushed over and helped her up onto the table. “Oh my gosh, another one! Huh, at least your injuries aren’t too bad…” She looked Kagome up and down, and the young woman fingered the tough leather jacket still hanging around her shoulders.

“Because of this, right?” She turned to look at Yashiro, who tried to act indifferent. “You put this around me because it has some kind of protective properties, right?”

“Fur of the Fire Rat, very good, Miss Higurashi,” Miroku said, stepping back into the room after taking a call out in the hallway, “and leather from a komodo dragon demon’s hide. Tougher than any Kevlar vest you could sport.”

“Oh! Thank you, Mister…”

“Amachi. Special Agent Amachi, but you are more than permitted to call me Miroku if it pleases you.” 

The handsome young man bowed respectfully, and Kagome rushed to return it with a nod of her own as Ayame set to spreading ointment on the bruises around her neck.

“And our lovely physician currently tending to your wounds is Miss Ayame Gushiken. Mind your manners, my dear, and say hello to our beautiful guest on loan from the TMPD.”

“Bite me, Miro.”

“As you wish, my lady.”

Kagome was slightly taken aback by the laid back, familiar atmosphere that fell over the med bay as the two employees continued to take playful jabs at each other while she simply looked on. It was especially startling in contrast to her previous conversation with Sesshuo about professionalism and discretion.

She looked over at Yashiro, but his focus was distant, as if he were lost in thought. She took his moment of distraction to peruse his frame, noting that Ayame had expertly bandaged him up, and he looked as though he was recovering remarkably well for someone who had just an hour or so ago been impaled several times by a crazed demon’s phantom sword.

A memory flashed in her mind of Suikotsu driving his claws straight through the young man’s chest, then of Yura’s blade striking him in the back – the fact that he was still alive baffled her!

Something both Yura and Suikotsu had said also tugged at the back of her mind, something about a half-breed, but she had been in too much of a shock both times to fully comprehend what they had been referring to. Plus, due to said state of shock, she couldn’t be certain, but hadn’t Yura called Yashiro by a different name during their fight?

The detective in her couldn’t quite let these seemingly random bits of information go, wondering if they were in fact just pieces of a much more complex puzzle. What was Mr. Nishimura hiding from her?

Suddenly, as if in tune to her thoughts, the man under her watchful gaze bolted upright, and his entire body went stiff.

“ _Shit!_ ” he growled before ripping the IV out of his arm and vaulting off his cot.

“Yashiro, what – _oh_ ,” Ayame called after him as he sprinted past her and out the doors of the med bay, the breeze generated from his hasty retreat sending the papers in her hands flying.

Miroku turned to Kagome and strategically placed himself in front of her view of the infirmary’s double doors. He smiled disarmingly and gave a nonchalant shrug of his shoulders.

“I’ll bet he just remembered he left the stove on,” he said, and beside him Ayame rolled her eyes and tried to hide a chuckle.

Meanwhile, Kagome’s attention was still riveted to the area where Yashiro had only moments ago been sitting.

_Silver hair…_

She could have sworn his hair had turned silver just before he had disappeared behind the swinging doors, and she was almost positive it wasn’t a trick of the light this time. Was that possible, or was exhaustion mixed with two near-death experiences in the span of 24 hours causing her to see things?

Turning her attention upward, she tried to look past Miroku and Ayame at where Yashiro had made his hasty exit, but the two YTF employees simply crowded her, one checking her vitals and bandaging more of her wounds while the other attempted to chat her up with charming banter.

“So, Detective Higurashi…I understand this is the first you’re being introduced to the world of demon-slaying.”

That caught her attention, and she turned to raise a curious brow at Miroku.

“Demon-slaying?”

The handsome young man smiled and nodded. “Of course! What else would you call what you did back there to our dearly departed Yura?”

Kagome’s eyes widened, and she blushed. “I didn’t want to _kill_ her! That’s not what I signed up for…she was just…she was _hurting_ Yashiro! And _she_ tried to kill _me_ , after all!”

Miroku put his hands up defensively, and Ayame gently pushed Kagome back to recline against the propped back of the cot.

“Take it easy, Detective. I was only teasing. Perhaps it’s too soon to be making jokes. Demon-slaying is quite the outdated term these days; this isn’t the Feudal Era, after all.”

Ayame chuckled and nodded, sharing a glance with Miroku that Kagome couldn’t quite interpret.

While the redhead physician went about cleaning up, Miroku slid onto her observation stool and leaned closer to Kagome, as if they were two conspirators.

“How much do you know about our organization, Miss Higurashi?”

Kagome blinked in a confused manner at the random question, scratching her head and looking down at her lap in thought.

“Well…I know that you guys are in charge of taking care of youkai-related crimes and apprehending rogue youkai – which, apparently, exist! Surprise to me!” She laughed nervously, recalling Yura’s strange powers and her sharp fangs…and immediately she shuddered and put the thought out of her mind. 

There was a time for recollection – when she was at home, could meditate, and perhaps make sense of everything that had transpired in less than 24 hours – but now, surrounded by perfect strangers in a new environment with new priorities, was not the time for such thoughts.

Miroku smiled at her, and she blushed; what was with these YTF agents? Was it something in the water here that made these men so unbelievably attractive?

“Correct, though it’s a bit more than that…our biggest concern is youkai who are at risk of exposing the demon world to the public – the human public, that is. Those who remain in the dark about the existence of beings like Ayame.”

Kagome’s eyes widened, and she glanced over at the red-haired medic that was scribbling something on a piece of paper.

“You’re a demon?”

The question was innocent and free of any prejudice, the young woman honestly curious and interested.

Ayame smiled and nodded. “A wolf demon, to be specific.”

Flashing a pair of deadly, pearly-white fangs and tapping a pen cap against one of her pointed elf-like ears, she let Kagome peruse her form with a vague sense of wonder and enchantment.

“You see, Detective,” Miroku spoke up after a moment, “wolf demons are especially talented in the field of medicine. Their keen sense of smell and whip-sharp instincts help them to detect and treat ailments that modern medicine wouldn’t be able to catch.”

“The ammonia throws me for a loop, but it’s bearable with a breathing mask and goggles. Plus, it’s pretty useful that I can’t contract or spread diseases, so I never have to worry about contamination,” said Ayame as she flitted around the room at a fast clip, tidying up and organizing her work station.

“Oh, wow,” Kagome commented after letting the information sit for a moment, “I had no idea! That’s quite impressive.”

Miroku nodded and leaned closer, giving Kagome the impression that he wasn’t very conscious of personal space boundaries.

“This is the kind of information you wouldn’t be able to gather from any ancient scroll or history textbook. What humans today know about demons is fairly limited due to improper record keeping from the Feudal Era, when it was more common for youkai to be walking amongst the human population in plain sight.

“Most demons have strong immune systems that make it impossible for them to get sick, and their metabolisms work so quickly that even severe wounds have the potential of healing in a matter of a few hours.”

Kagome’s eyebrow quirked, something about the way Mr. Nishimura brushed off his seemingly fatal wounds piquing her interest, but then Miroku shook his head and leaned away from her, as if catching himself before saying something he shouldn’t.

“I digress. The reason we are so adamant about finding Bankotsu and stopping the Band of Seven’s operation is because they are very close to exposing the demon world to the public. 

“All seven members are human, and the fact that they are in the process of dealing Shard – a performance enhancing drug largely produced in and reserved for the youkai community – to other humans that are not aware of the existence of youkai is just one of many causes for us to become involved.”

With that statement, he stood and stretched, watching Kagome closely as she processed all the information he had just given her.

“So, I guess the one question I have for you, Miss Higurashi, is: are you ready for this? It’s going to be a wild ride for the next couple of days while you become accustomed to many different changes, and you may end up uncovering some rather shocking developments along the way. Can you give me your word that you will be able to take everything in stride? Your Captain, Kaede, seems to think you are up for the challenge, but I would like to hear what you think about all of this.”

Kagome met his inquisitive cerulean gaze as she thought about everything she had learned thus far, and everything she had yet to learn still. Not for the first time, she wondered if she was getting in over her head.

At the same time, though, she couldn’t help but once again be thrilled by the prospect of this new and exciting challenge. She was rather inquisitive by nature, and there were too many questions left unanswered – too many unsolved puzzles in her head – that needed to be solved. 

She couldn’t just walk away from something like this, especially now that she knew the true havoc Bankotsu and his men were raising. Her integrity, her strong moral foundation, and, truthfully, her curiosity wouldn’t let her turn her back on this new world she had stumbled upon.

With a renewed sense of determination, she met Miroku’s gaze with confidence and a strong, steady smile.

Just as she was about to answer, Yashiro came bursting back through the entrance, his phone plastered to his ear and a grimace firmly set across his features.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m grabbing her now…well, you can wait the five fucking seconds it will take us to take the elevator up to interrogation! … Jeez, I can feel the love all the way from here, asshole…whatever, fuck you, goodbye.”

He forcefully pressed the screen to end the call and shoved the phone into his jeans pocket. Kagome shared a look with Miroku and Ayame, knowing full well who he was talking to – who else ruffled his feathers so much other than his older brother?

“You,” he growled, pointing at Kagome as she straightened smartly under his grumpy violet gaze, “are coming with me. Suikotsu is in Interrogation 1, and if we don’t get going Sess is going to personally see to it that I’m on parking meter duty for the next month.”

Kagome nodded and slid off the infirmary bed, then thought about it a moment before turning to bow in Ayame’s direction.

“Thank you very much for patching me up. I appreciate it.”

The redhead was stunned for only a moment before folding her chart under her arm and bowing in return.

“Think nothing of it, Miss Higurashi. You’re a member of our team, now; we all have each other’s backs around here.”

She wasn’t sure if it was because of her lack of sleep, the very stressful day she had been having, or a combination of both, but Ayame’s statement had struck a chord, and before she could stop herself, Kagome reached out to grab the young physician’s hand.

“Thank you, really,” she said, and Ayame nodded and squeezed her hand tightly in return.

“Of course. Now, get a move on before Yashiro has an aneurism.”

Kagome nodded and turned to see both Yashiro and Miroku standing in the entrance to the med bay, the latter picking nonchalantly at his fingernails while the former pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger as if to stave off a massive headache.

She breezed past the two of them, shouting an errant, “Stop standing around, you two! We have to get moving,” over her shoulder on her way out the swinging doors.

Yashiro gawked after her, and Miroku laughed and thumped him on the back.

“Oh, this is going to be so much fun!” he said before chasing after Kagome, leaving Yashiro standing there pretending the spot where Miroku hit him didn’t hurt and exacting imaginary revenge on Kagome for the little stunt she pulled back there.

Ayame came up behind him and watched as Miroku caught up to Kagome and the two raced down the hallway toward the elevators.

“She’s going to fit in quite nicely around here. Don’t you agree, Yashiro?”

The young man only grunted before shaking himself and trotting down the hall after his two partners.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My lovely readers, 
> 
> I know I'm a little erratic with updates right now, but your comments and kudos give me motivation to write and update quicker! I know it doesn't seem like much, but even just a "great job" does wonders. I'm trying to crank out a chapter a month, and hearing your feedback (both positive and constructive) helps make me more productive.
> 
> Your support means so much to me. Thank you for sticking with Yashiro and the gang!
> 
> Much love,
> 
> Your Mistress


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A detective, an inu-hanyou, and a sociopath walk into an interrogation room...

The three of them watched through the two-way mirror as Suikotsu shifted against the manacles chaining him to his seat in the interrogation room. He looked restless, shifting between violent outbursts and gut-wrenching fits of sobbing.

Kagome couldn’t help but feel a pang of pity for this man, this poor man who had little control over his mood swings. Then she remembered the remorseless way in which he tore into Yashiro’s chest, and her pity lessened just a bit.

Looking up at Yashiro, she took note of the hard set of his jaw and the way his arms were crossed tightly against his chest, and she figured he was recalling that painful memory as well.

Finally, Miroku spoke.

“Well, Yash? You have a good read on the guy?”

Yashiro nodded, uncrossing his arms and loosening the tension in his shoulders with a few shrugs.

“Oh yeah. This bastard is gonna sing like a jailbird when I’m finished with him.” He turned to look at Kagome, who bit her bottom lip and gazed uncertainly through the glass at their target. “You ready for this, Detective?”

Interrogation had never been Kagome’s strong point. Kaede had always said she was too sympathetic, which was why she and Sango made such a good team when it came to questioning criminals. The combination of Sango’s take-no-shit attitude and Kagome’s knack for easing the perp into a state of comfort and vulnerability made them a lethal interrogation machine. The two of them held the record for most prisoner confessions back at the TMPD.

By herself, however, Kagome wasn’t so sure she could hold her own. She wasn’t sure how Yashiro operated during an interrogation, but she was hoping he would do most of the talking and take the lead this first time, especially considering she was supposed to just be sitting in this first time.

“Mister Amachi,” she said after clearing her throat, “why won’t you be joining us? Aren’t you and Mister Nishimura partners?” It would have been easier to sit in on the interrogation if she could study the two men’s dynamic.

Miroku simply shook his head. “Yes, but too many people in the room will overwhelm our Mister Suikotsu. Besides,” he took a beat to smile reassuringly at her, “you won’t learn anything by simply watching me and Yash. It would be best if you immersed yourself in the situation.”

She nodded solemnly, then shook herself and plastered on her best brave face.

“Alright. Let’s do this.”

Yashiro quirked a brow at her obviously fake bravado – how a young woman who had just mere hours ago taken down a killer demon without a hint of fear could be nervous about a simple interrogation was beyond him – before opening the door and gesturing for her to go before him.

“Ladies first,” he said behind a smirk, and she gave him a look before turning up her nose and walking bravely into the interrogation room.

He exchanged a speaking glance with Miroku before hiding a laugh under a strategic cough and walking in after Kagome.

Suikotsu eyed the two of them suspiciously, glancing over Kagome briefly before leveling a hard glare at Yashiro.

“You _bastard_ ,” he growled, but his impressive attempt at intimidation didn’t seem to register with Yashiro, the young man simply shrugging and spinning a chair to sit in it backwards across the table from Suikotsu.

“Nice to see you, too. I trust you had a comfortable night’s stay in our luxury holding cells.”

“A rat bit me on the ass!”

“I hope you tipped extra for that service.”

The two glared at one another for a few silent moments before Yashiro shrugged again and flipped open the chart that had already been sitting on the table when they entered earlier.

“Let’s see, here. Destruction of public property, attempted murder of a special agent, and several counts of officer assault. That is, of course, only the stuff we know about from last night. Your rap sheet goes way beyond just that.”

He flipped through a few pages in the folder before slamming it shut suddenly, causing both Suikotsu and Kagome to jump.

“You’re looking at hard time, my friend. You know the drill: if you can give us any information pertaining to the whereabouts of Bankotsu, then Sesshuo and I are willing to consider striking a deal with you.”

Kagome glanced sidelong at Yashiro from her spot seated beside him, not sure whether he was bluffing or not – striking a deal with someone as psychologically messed up as Suikotsu didn’t sound like a very good idea, but Yashiro’s expression was impassive, so it was impossible to tell if he meant his words.

The man under question didn’t even take time to consider Yashiro’s offer.

“Fuck you and your jackass brother! If I ever betrayed Bankotsu, my fate would be far worse than anything you impossible mongrels could ever think up!” and he spat right in Yashiro’s face.

Well, he at least _tried_ to spit right in Yashiro’s face. The chains holding him back tugged at his arms and caused his head to whip to the side, missing Yashiro completely and hitting Kagome straight on.

She gasped and flinched, more caught off guard than truly offended – more than one criminal had spat at her before, called her names she wouldn’t dare repeat, threatened to kill her; it had happened so frequently that she had become desensitized to it. The fact that it hadn’t been meant for her was the only reason for her reaction, but Yashiro pounced before she had a chance to wipe her face and reassure him that she was fine.

The table was flung across the room and Yashiro had the front of Suikotsu’s orange jumpsuit bunched in his fists as he lifted him in his seat. Their prisoner yelped as his shackles dug painfully into his skin at the awkward angle, but Yashiro only yanked harder until even the chair Suikotsu was sitting in was lifted a few centimeters off the ground.

“Now listen here, you fucking jackass: _I’m_ the one you’re pissed at. Not Miss Higurashi, _me_. You got a problem? Fine, take it up with me, but leave her out of it.”

His voice was near lethal as he growled through grit teeth and threw Suikotsu back on the floor, not bothering to pick him up as his chair tipped over and dumped him unceremoniously onto the concrete.

“ _Agent Nishimura_ ,” Kagome said sharply, standing abruptly and helping Suikotsu back into a semi-comfortable upright position, “may I have a word with you, in _private_?”

She didn’t wait for a response, just stormed out of the room, and Yashiro exchanged a wary glance with Suikotsu – who notably did not bother making eye contact with him – before cautiously following after her.

When he closed the door to the interrogation room behind him, Kagome spun around on her heel and nailed him with a withering glare.

“Just what the _hell_ was that all about in there?!”

He flinched at her use of a swear word, then bolstered himself and glared right back at her.

“It’s called intimidation, Sweetness. The guy was being a stubborn asshole, so –”

“So you had to be _more_ of a stubborn asshole?!”

“Now just hang on a second –”

“This is so typical! You’re just like the men at the TMPD – you don’t think I can stand up for myself!”

“Miss Higurashi, that’s not –”

“I’m right, aren’t I? Suikotsu spit in my face, and you thought that you’d protect my fragile little female feelings by roughing him up a bit!”

“Kagome, ENOUGH!” he finally shouted, grabbing her by the shoulders and giving her a hard shake to get her attention.

Her mouth snapped shut, and they both finally noticed that everyone in the bullpen was looking at them.

Yashiro coughed uncomfortably and led her a few paces down the hallway and out of hearing range of most of his coworkers.

“Listen, Miss Higurashi –”

“ _Detective_ Higurashi,” she corrected, shaking his hands off her shoulders and crossing her arms stubbornly over her chest with an indignant pout.

He growled and mirrored her stance, but then he closed his eyes and took in a few deep breaths to quell his ever-rising temper.

“Look, _Detective_ , I didn’t mean to insinuate that you couldn’t stand up for yourself. I know for a fact that you’ve got more spunk in you than most of the men that work here. Don’t forget we met after you clean clocked a guy three times your size right onto his ass.”

She blushed as she remembered the circumstances of their first meeting, and he smiled just a little bit at how reminiscent of a grumpy little girl she looked in that moment.

“There’s just no negotiating with that asshole in there, and I was looking for any and every opportunity to scare him a little.”

And he was also already incredibly protective of her, but she didn’t need to know that at this very moment.

She gave him a considering look, narrowing her eyes and pursing her lips as if to judge if his statement was true.

Finally, she sighed and shook her head tiredly, dropping her arms back to her sides and running an errant hand through her hair.

“I’m sorry I yelled at you, Mr. Nishimura. It’s just been a long day for me, and you can imagine what I have to deal with on a regular basis, what with being a female cop and all.”

He nodded. “It’s fine.”

An awkward silence hung between them for a second before he cleared his throat and scratched the back of his neck uncomfortably. 

“We should probably get back in there. Sesshuo would have my nuts in a vice if he found out I walked out in the middle of an interrogation.”

Kagome made a face. “What disturbing imagery.”

He laughed and followed after her as she made her way back toward Interrogation 1.

“Oh, you have no idea, Detective. You have no idea.”

*~*~*~*~*

“So here’s how it’s going to go, Suikotsu,” Yashiro began once they had reentered the room and moved the table back to its spot between the two of them and the convicted criminal, “you either tell me everything you know about Bankotsu and Shard, or we have a repeat performance of earlier, with a surprise encore duet that includes my foot and your ass.”

Suikotsu scoffed. “You don’t scare me, little puppy! If your little girlfriend over there hadn’t come in when she had last night, you would be nothing but a distant memory now.”

Yashiro sighed and rubbed his eyes tiredly, glancing apologetically at Kagome, who smiled reassuringly at him. Such a simple gesture shouldn’t have had any effect on him, but he felt a bit of energy return to him as he glared at his prisoner with renewed vigor.

“I hope you like those chains, because you’re gonna be wearing them for a long time.”

He got up to leave, expecting Kagome to rise with him, but instead she shook her head and turned to face Suikotsu.

“You know, Bankotsu hired the demon Yura of the Hair to come kill us and break you out of here.”

That piqued his attention, and he sat up a bit straighter.

Kagome smiled sweetly, hoping he would drop his guard enough in her nonthreatening presence.

“He must have been worried about you to send a bounty hunter to…oh, how did she put it, Yash? Deliver your head on a silver platter?” 

She turned to look up at Yashiro, who was looking down at her with a mix of shock at her familiar use of his name, confusion as to what her motives were, and…was he impressed with her? She didn’t dwell on it, simply turned back to her target without waiting for Yashiro’s response.

“That sounds like someone who’s pretty upset at Mr. Nishimura for bringing you in. You must be very important to Bankotsu for him to go through all that trouble.”

She reached out and placed a gentle hand on Suikotsu’s bound wrists that rested against the table across from her, and he only flinched at first contact before relaxing under her friendly presence.

_Good…we’re almost there…_

“Are you an important member to the Band of Seven?”

Suikotsu eyed her suspiciously, glancing at Yashiro as if at any moment he was going to shatter the calm moment and throw a punch.

Yashiro, for his part, was just as curious of Kagome’s motives as the prisoner; instead of ruining her groove, however, he simply shrugged and moved to lean against the wall on the outskirts of the room. He would only step in if things got violent, but this was all her right now.

“I am…” Suikotsu began hesitantly, the kind, gentle way in which Kagome was treating him soothing the raging beast inside him long enough for him to be able to have a civil conversation with her.

“Would you say you’re Bankotsu’s Number 2? I’d imagine so, with the way he sent Yura after us and all…”

Suikotsu shook his head once, a flicker of amusement lighting his dull eyes. Her soft smile was just distracting enough to loosen his tongue, and after being on the business end of Yashiro’s volatile temper, he found himself rather comfortable in her sweet presence. He – at least, the _he_ that was currently in control – had always been a bit of a sucker for pretty, dark-haired women.

“No, I wouldn’t go that far. While I’m important, I’m not nearly as quintessential to the team as some of my other brothers.”

Kagome nodded, smiling while also taking note of the way in which he called his comrades; she assumed, considering siblings were not mentioned in Suikotsu’s file, that he was referring to a more fraternal meaning of the term ‘brother’.

“And who would you consider Bankotsu’s Number 2, then?”

The limited information they had on each of the members of the Band of Seven didn’t indicate who was most important to the operation – aside from Bankotsu, of course – so if she could get a name out of Suikotsu, then they had a thread they could follow that could potentially lead them to Bankotsu.

Suikotsu’s eyebrows dipped, and Kagome realized she had pushed too hard too soon when he flipped his hand to grab her harshly around the wrist.

“And just what,” he rasped, tightening his grip hard enough to bruise, “makes you think I would tell you something like that?”

With his fingers still wrapped tightly around her wrist, he yanked her forward, and she could see that wild look returning in his eyes even as Yashiro let out a lurid string of curses and lunged forward to intervene.

“Hey! Get your hands off her, you bastard!”

He intended to grab Suikotsu by the nape of his jumpsuit and yank him off her, but before he had the chance, Kagome surprised both men by twisting her wrist at an odd angle to break free from his hold and using his momentum to slam his forehead into the table between them.

The sound of the smack echoed in the room as Kagome – now with both hands free – braced an elbow at the base of Suikotsu’s skull while the other hovered at her hip. Of course, she wasn’t actually wearing her piece; it wasn’t safe to bring loaded fire arms into an enclosed space with a violent sociopath, but the threat the stance presented was enough to have Suikotsu going stiff beneath her.

“That was kind of unpleasant…and I can guarantee that it will continue to get much more unpleasant if you try to pull a stunt like that again.”

Kagome spoke as if she were conversing nonchalantly with an acquaintance she happened to run into at the local coffee shop, not at all like she was currently pinning down a man twice her size, and not for the first time since he had met her, Yashiro was impressed by her spunk.

She didn’t look like she had it in her; she was a small slip of a woman with a sweet smile and a gentle air about her. She hardly ever cursed, and even as someone who hadn’t known her for more than 24 hours, he could tell she was just an all-around kind, friendly individual.

That said, he had to remember that she was every bit the ballsy detective her file indicated, trained to take down criminals three times her size without batting an eye. The fact that Suikotsu was stronger than the average criminal due to the potent demon drug still pumping through his veins didn’t seem to deter her, though he was prepared to step in if it proved to be too much for her.

He trusted that she was able to take care of herself, but that didn’t mean that he trusted Suikotsu not to do her serious harm if he chose to activate Shard.

Of course, he couldn’t help offering a smarmy remark at the situation as he moved back to his position at one corner of the room.

“And you thought _I_ was the threat, here. I may be the senior officer, but right now, Kagome is running the show. Remember that the next time you think you can intimidate her.”

Suikotsu snarled, but he didn’t try to throw the young woman off. He must have been smart enough to realize his position: piss Yashiro off, you’ve got one agent mad at you. Piss Kagome off, though, and you’ve got Yashiro, Sesshuo, and more than likely the rest of the precinct mad at you. And he did not favor those odds.

When it was clear he wasn’t going to try anything, Kagome relinquished her hold on him, allowing him to slump back into his seat with a subtle roll of his shoulders to release some of the tension in his sore neck.

Kagome took a deep breath through her nose before moving to sit primly back in her own seat, glancing back at Yashiro – who was still holding up the wall a few paces away – before settling her hazel eyes on Suikotsu once more.

“Now that we’ve established who’s in charge, shall we continue where we left off?”

She knew his answer to her question before he even opened his mouth.

“Go to hell, all of you! I’d rather die than tell you anything!”

Kagome sighed and resisted the urge to press the pads of her fingers into her tired eyes; she knew she had pressed her advantage earlier, and now because of her impatience they weren’t ever going to get him to talk.

Yashiro, taking note of his partner’s fatigue, pushed off the wall and made his way over to the two of them, noting with a sick sense of pride that Suikotsu subtly shifted away from him as he approached.

Flipping Suikotsu’s file closed, he placed a gentle hand on Kagome’s shoulder and urged her to stand before turning a hard glare on their prisoner.

“Get comfortable, asshole. You’re going to be here for a while.”

As they turned to leave, the most unsettling sound graced their ears.

Suikotsu was…laughing?

Yashiro and Kagome exchanged a confused glance – just what was so funny about this situation? – before turning to look at their detainee.

His shoulders were shaking from the force of his laughter, tears brimming his eyes as he shook his head back and forth, as if recalling a hilarious private joke. He looked crazed, eyes glinting manically in the harsh artificial lighting, and the deep chuckles devolved into hysteric barks of laughter that had him banging his chained hands against the table in front of him and gasping for breath in between the fits of chortles.

As suddenly as the onslaught of insanity came, it ebbed, the only sounds in the room Suikotsu’s panting breaths and, much quieter, but still audible, the rapid beating of their hearts.

Finally, he raised his head, and the look in his eyes caused Kagome to take a step back and Yashiro to let out a subsonic growl.

“I have a feeling,” he began breathlessly, and both agents took note of the way the table budged ever so slightly, the room seeming to give an almost undetectable heave against an unstoppable force, “that I will not be here for much longer.”

Before they had a chance to ponder the meaning of those words, the door to the interrogation room came bursting open, one of the lower ranking officers bolting in to inform them that someone had broken into the precinct. He didn’t get much out after that before he toppled over, a crushing blow to the back of his head rendering him unconscious.

And there, in the doorway, stood a hulking presence, gargantuan fist still raised, and a horrifying smile curling the corners of his chapped mouth and exposing sharp, gnarled teeth.

“Hello,” his deep voice boomed in the small space, “the name’s Kyokotsu. I’m here to retrieve my friend. I hear you haven’t been treating him very well; guess that means I have no choice.”

He cracked his knuckles, the sound so loud and jarring that it caused both parties to flinch.

With speed far greater than someone his size should have been able to utilize, the large man bolted into the room, skirting around Yashiro and landing behind Kagome hard enough to cause the ground to shake. As the young woman was fighting to stay standing, he reached out and wrapped his meaty fists around her neck, lifting her clear off the ground with what seemed like no effort at all.

“I’m gonna hafta kill the lot of you for messing with the Band of Seven, and I’m gonna start with this pretty little detective. Say goodbye to your playmate, doggy.”

“ _Kagome!_ ”

And Kyokotsu squeezed.

*~*~*~*~*

_Meanwhile, on the other side of town…_

“Your men have been proving rather disappointing thus far, Bankotsu.”

The silky baritone cut like razor blades into Bankotsu’s skin where he kneeled at the threshold of the dark room. The only source of light in the black space came from the large computer monitors stationed on the opposite end of the room. Freeze frames of different empty rooms were plastered on most of the screens, but one monitor was a flurry of activity.

Kyokotsu stood in the middle of an interrogation room at the YTF headquarters, hands wrapped around the neck of a lovely young woman, with the sound of chains rattling and Suikotsu’s maniac laughter filtering from somewhere off screen. Yashiro’s desperate shout was the last thing heard before the feed went black.

“How do you mean, sir?” Bankotsu asked after a moment of poetically deafening silence.

The deep chuckle that echoed across the small space felt like a thousand spiders crawling across his skin, and he felt like shuddering, but he refused to give into the urge to submit, instead squaring his shoulders and standing. He was the leader of the Band of Seven, the most fearsome group of criminals in all of Japan, and on top of that he was a very influential Representative of the National Diet* during the day. He did not bow so easily to other’s whims.

“For one,” the owner-less voice intoned, “Suikotsu was not supposed to get captured. He is too essential to the operation to lose. Even if your little spat with him did bring about the destruction of _Shikon_ , he should not have been so easily apprehended, by that half-breed mongrel and his human companion, of all things.”

The sound of a chair being pushed back cut through the pitch-black nothingness, and Bankotsu felt more than heard as a presence began to approach slowly.

“On top of such a discretion, Kyokotsu was specifically ordered not to kill the girl. His objective was to obtain Suikotsu and, time permitting, take out that pesky InuYasha.”

The way he spat the last name indicated a personal vendetta against the ingrate, but Bankotsu ignored that particular detail in favor of another, more pressing matter.

“Why not just kill the girl, sir? It would be easy enough, and she’s been a real pain in the ass, even before she teamed up with the YTF, always sticking her nose where it doesn’t belong. Plus, she was the one that took down Suikotsu by shooting him in the knees, and my intel informs me that she gave Yura quite the hard time before InuYasha killed her…”

He heard the slap across his face before he felt it, and the pure force of it had him falling to the ground in shock.

“Do not question my methods, fool.” 

The voice decidedly did not sound angry, the tone unchanging from before the blow to Bankotsu’s face, but the pure power suddenly roiling through the air had the young man biting his tongue against the insults he so desperately wanted to hurl.

“I have plans for young Detective Higurashi, and her death would be quite the inconvenience. You best hope your man comes to his senses, or her blood will be on your hands.

“Which would be a shame, really; I do rather prefer her blood being on _my_ hands.”

The evil chuckle that filled the silence had Bankotsu finally giving into the shiver that coursed down his spine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *The National Diet is the bicameral legislature in Japan. The lower house is the House of Representatives (of which Bankotsu is a member in this fictional setting) is the more powerful of the two houses, able to override vetoes on bills enforced by the upper house, the House of Councillors. I thought if I gave Bankotsu an official title it would make the story a little more authentic. Probably won't come into play later on, but we'll see.
> 
> As always, your encouraging comments and kudos are what keep this story going!
> 
> Much love,
> 
> Your Mistress


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A return to action! Plus a visit from everyone's favorite mangy wolf

Yashiro stood frozen as, for the third time in less than a day, Kagome’s life was put in danger because of someone else’s personal grudge against him.

_Fucking hell, why does this keep happening?!_

Snapping out of his momentary paralysis, he assessed the situation with a trained eye, his lightning-fast reflexes being able to take in everything much quicker than a normal person could.

Suikotsu was still chained up, but he was struggling against his bonds with an inhuman strength that suggested he had activated the drug still circulating in his system. Those restraints wouldn’t hold him for much longer, so Yashiro had to act quickly to avoid being overwhelmed by the two members of the Band of Seven.

As it was, Kyokotsu’s stance was off, suggesting he had taken a lot of damage fighting his way through the YTF headquarters to get here, and a closer inspection revealed his shaking legs and a harsh tension in his back and shoulders. The fact that the large man hadn’t simply snapped Kagome’s neck but was instead attempting to squeeze the breath from her throat was further proof that he was battling fatigue, and Yashiro found his opening.

With speed borne from desperation at the way the young detective’s face started to turn blue, he lunged for Kyokotsu, going in high at first to draw his opponent’s attention upward before falling into a crouch at the last minute and sweeping Kyokotsu’s legs out from underneath him.

His huge body went crashing to the ground, and he loosened his grip on Kagome just enough for Yashiro to swipe her out of his grasp.

Cradling his precious cargo against his chest, he took a few leaps back and laid her gently against the wall. He gave her time to get herself together, allowing her to take a few deep, rasping breaths and rub the bruises blossoming across her neck, before he moved in front of her and fell into a defensive crouch to face off against his opponents.

His moment of distraction, however, proved to be just enough time for Kyokotsu to gather himself, and when Yashiro turned his attention back to the impending fight, he was met with an empty room. Kyokotsu must have recovered quickly enough from his fall to bust Suikotsu out of his shackles, the two of them making a hasty retreat while Yashiro had been concerned with Kagome’s safety.

Cursing up a blue streak, Yashiro snarled harshly before turning his attention to Kagome again.

“You good?”

The young woman nodded after another moment of desperate panting, the look she gave him indicating he should stop worrying about her and start chasing down the criminals.

With a final glance at the lurid marks streaking her throat, he nodded and took off, the light blazing in her eyes assuring him that she could take care of herself if push came to shove.

After his departure, Kagome took a shuddering breath and allowed herself a moment of recovery.

She must have had a sign going across her back that said “Has a Death Wish” or something; ever since meeting Mr. Nishimura, she had been chased down by a guy with Wolverine claws, threatened by a she-demon who could control strands of hair, and now nearly strangled to death by a mountain of a man connected to one of the most powerful gangs in Japan.

Though she seemed to have been just a passing thought to most of these criminals; they had all seemed to have a vendetta for Yashiro and his brother that went past their dealings with the YTF. It almost seemed as though their desire to harm the brothers was personal, or at the very least driven by an incredibly powerful force.

Shaking herself, she filed this information away into the overflowing mental box labeled “Questions to ask Yashiro” and decided that now wasn’t the time to be lost in thought.

With a determined set to her jaw, she pushed herself to her feet. Taking a moment to shake away the black spots in her vision as the sudden movement reminded her previous lack of oxygen, she squared her shoulders and ran after Yashiro out the door of the interrogation room.

*~*~*~*~*

Yashiro was right on their heels, their scents especially pungent thanks to the drugs pumping in their veins, and even though they were faster than the average human, their speed didn’t hold a candle to his.

And since Kagome wasn’t with him, he had the freedom to run as fast as he could without the risk of exposure.

He had asked Sesshuo initially why he couldn’t just tell Kagome what they were. Years of prejudice against demons (and, especially in his case, half-demons) made him proud of who he was, and he knew for a fact that as much of an asshole as Sesshuo could be, he was also quite proud of their heritage. Not everyone – human or demon alike – could boast that their father was once the most powerful being to ever walk the land, and coming from such an important lineage meant they commanded a certain amount of respect.

Sesshuo had told him, however, that Yashiro had gained Kagome’s trust as a _human_ , which meant revealing their true forms to her too soon could potentially break that trust. One shocking revelation at a time, he had warned.

And Yashiro understood that logic, to an extent. He didn’t want to deal the girl too many earth-shattering surprises at once, because learning that demons still walked the earth peacefully alongside humans was enough of a development on its own. Learning that the man she had trusted to protect her time and again was actually an inu-hanyou with fangs, claws, and dog ears could prove too much for the poor girl’s psyche.

There was also a very small part of him that was afraid she wouldn’t accept him if she knew that he was a demon. She had seemed to take everything in stride thus far, and she didn’t seem the type to judge unfairly, but he had experienced his fair share of discrimination for what he was from both humans and demons alike, and that kind of treatment wasn’t something a person could so easily shake.

But all his musings and misgivings aside, it was getting harder and harder to hide his true self from Kagome. He needed to be able to fight at his full strength at some point, and he couldn’t do that without exposing his demon half to her. It also didn’t help that every single villain they had run into thus far had either called him by his given name or gone so far as to call him mutt or half-breed.

He knew Kagome had questions, and he so desperately wanted to give her at least some answers, but at the rapid rate in which things were happening, he wasn’t sure when they’d have time for such a conversation soon.

_At this rate, I’m gonna end up accidentally exposing myself during a fight instead of being able to sit down and talk to her like I wanted…_

What was more was that he was actually starting to like Kagome. He didn’t often get along with many people (his brother would say it was because of his volatile personality, the ass), but despite himself he found himself enjoying the young woman’s company, and if her scent was anything to go by, she didn’t exactly find his presence unpleasant, either.

He didn’t like lying to her almost as little as he liked the thought of her rejecting him once she found out what he was, and the paradox of those feelings was enough to make his head spin.

Shaking himself, he refocused on the task at hand when he noticed he was closing in on his quarry. They were vaulting themselves up the stairs toward the roof, and with a smirk Yashiro braced himself before pushing off the ground and jumping up three floors at a time.

Both Suikotsu and Kyokotsu cursed, but they didn’t slow their pace, sprinting up the remaining steps to the door that led to the roof just as Yashiro touched down behind them.

“Got you, fuckers. You’re not getting away.”

He almost laughed at their futile attempts at escape, then let out a string of profanity that would have made a sailor blush as a stream of smelly vapor assaulted his senses.

Instead of continuing through the open door after Suikotsu, Kyokotsu had pivoted to face Yashiro and pressed the button on the capsule he had been hiding up his sleeve. It had been gifted to him as a failsafe, in case he needed to slow down anybody with a sensitive nose, and he noted with a maniacal sense of glee that it worked like a charm as Yashiro dropped to the ground in a fit of hacking coughs and desperate gasps for air.

With a rude hand gesture, Kyokotsu pelted the prone Yashiro with the empty capsule before following after his comrade.

Yashiro, still wheezing, cursed up a storm between coughs and swiped a hand against his eyes in a vain attempt to rid himself of the tears.

_Fuck! What the hell is this stuff?! Can’t – fucking – breathe…_

With his eyes and nose compromised, he nearly missed the arrival of another person.

“Oh no, Mr. Nishimura!” Kagome called, kneeling beside him as he attempted to pull himself together. “What happened? What’s wrong?”

_Cough_. “Forget about me!” _Wheeze_. “They're getting away!” _Hack_. “Go after them. I'll be right behind you!” _Sneeze. Cough. Choke._

Kagome watched dubiously as he tried to collect himself, but followed his orders after only a moment of hesitation, vaulting up the remaining stairs and hitting the roof in a dead run.

She didn't have a prayer of catching up to either of the criminals with how much of a head start they had, but if she tailed them long enough, hopefully she’d be able to get a good enough idea of where they were headed and call for backup to cut them off before they reached their destination and completely escaped her custody.

That idea was dashed when the deafening whir of helicopter propellers thundered overhead, nearly knocking her on her rear with how close the thing was flying to the rooftop. The all-black contraption swung its gargantuan tail boom around, nearly smacking Kagome in the face with the rotor if she hadn't hit the deck and brought her hands up to cover her head.

“ _Sonofabitch!_ ” she barely heard someone shout over the ruckus, and then she felt a familiar weight settle itself over her back to shield her from most of the overhead activity.

Yashiro continued to curse up a blue streak as he covered Kagome’s small body with his own, furious with himself for leaving his jacket back in the precinct when debris began to cut into the thin fabric of his shirt.

_This is the fucking last straw. I'm not going anywhere without my Fire Rat on me and Tetsusaiga strapped to my side. Fuck propriety straight to the fifth hell!_

Whatever had been in that capsule was still messing with his senses, but through the tears he could make out a ladder being lowered from the open cargo bay and Suikotsu and Kyokotsu running straight for it.

A moment of indecision crossed his mind; he was fast enough to chase them down and stop them before they boarded the helicopter, but he didn't want to leave Kagome to fend for herself with the dangerous rotors still kicking up deadly amounts of debris and sending everything within a 15 meter radius flying in a torrential whirlwind. Her smaller, weaker body could easily get caught up in the tailwind, or worse, the boom could make another pass at her while she was left unprotected.

Shuddering at the thought, he grit his teeth and held her more securely against him, decision made, if a little grudgingly.

He was in the middle of calculating how long he'd have to wait after the helicopter’s departure before it was safe to leave Kagome and give chase when he felt a soft tug on his forelock. Surprised, he glanced down to see Kagome - forehead still pressed to the concrete and eyes scrunched shut - with her fingers tangled in his hair and trying to get him to lean closer to her.

Moving so that his (human) ear was next to her mouth, his sensitive hearing was able to pick up the hitch in her breath as the position caused him to press the entire length of his front against the curve of her back.

“You need to go after them!” she shouted, and he winced but didn't have the presence of mind to tell her that he could hear her just fine over the commotion without the need to yell.

“Can't do that, Miss Higurashi. It wouldn't be safe,” he murmured against her ear so he wouldn't have to shout, and he didn't miss the way she shivered and squirmed in his arms.

Long-buried instinct resurfaced and had him wanting to press his teeth against the delicate curve of her neck, but years of strict discipline had him clamping down on the urge. _Damn_ , but did she ever smell good, especially after the abuse his nose had just gone through.

So wrapped up was he in her alluring scent that he almost missed her response.

“But they’re escaping! If you don't catch them, then who knows what will happen!”

Suddenly, her lids opened to reveal striking irises of hazel, and the determination shimmering in those eyes had him pulling back from the crook of her neck to look at her in astonishment.

“Our number one duty is to keep the citizens of this city safe! If we let these guys escape, then the lives of innocent people could be in danger. I can take care of myself, but you're stronger and faster than me, so you need to get off me and go after them. _Now!_ ” and she began to try to wriggle out of his iron grip.

Well, shit, how could he argue with her when she spoke with such authoritative confidence?

He almost wanted to growl at her that nobody ordered him around like that, but the logic of her demand held his tongue. He’d lay into her later, but now he had a pressing matter to deal with: Suikotsu was already climbing up the ladder, and Kyokotsu wasn't far behind. If he was going to stop them, he had to get going, _now_.

Yashiro was about to ask Kagome if she was _sure_ she'd be alright before he sprung into action, but before he could get the words out, a whirlwind of air completely separate from the helicopter's whooshed overhead, bringing with it the stench of the absolute last person he wanted to be dealing with right now.

“What's the matter, mutt? Can't handle a little breeze?”

_Of - fucking - course._

Issuing a harsh growl that was lost to the wind, Yashiro watched as the owner of the smug voice darted past him and Kagome.

“Stop fucking around, ya damn wolf! They're getting away!”

He was expecting the half-assed salute sent his way, responding with as violent a flick of his middle finger as he could muster while still holding onto Kagome with his other hand, and he relented as the unwanted third party dashed ahead at lightning speed that - all things considered - it was fortuitous that some backup had arrived.

Regardless of how annoying that backup may have been.

With a howl, said annoying backup tackled Kyokotsu off the ladder with blinding speed and killer accuracy. The large man fell back to the rooftop and impacted like a ton of bricks, but before he could even begin to shuffle back to his feet, he found himself kept firmly in place by a knee to his spine.

“Don't even think about moving, asshole,” growled a gruff voice from behind him, and the knee shoved harder against his back, causing him to shout out in pain as he was read his rights.

Up above, Suikotsu had cleared the last rung and was shuffling into the cargo bay, barely seated before the helicopter whipped around and took off in the opposite direction it had come from, kicking up liberal amounts of dirt and debris and blinding the remaining occupants of the rooftop long enough for them to miss exactly where it was headed.

After the noise had died down to poetically deafening silence, Kagome poked her head out from under the shelter of Yashiro’s arms to survey the scene. When her gaze landed on Kyokotsu and his captor on her second sweep, her eyes widened as recognition caused her body to stiffen.

“...Koga?”

The handsome, dark-skinned man’s head perked up, and he glanced sidelong in the direction of the familiar voice, still all the while pressing down on his captive to ensure he didn’t try to escape.

“Kagome? What are you doing here?” He looked between her and Yashiro - who was still holding her close to his chest - and snarled. “And _what_ are doing hanging around that miserable mu- man?” Both he and Yashiro hoped she hadn’t caught his slip-up.

Luckily for them, Kagome was too distracted by the shock of coming face-to-face with the last man she thought she’d see in such a situation as this to notice his faux-pas. As it was, she could barely process the fact that she was out of harm’s way and still remained in the circle of Yashiro’s strong arms, surprised as she was to see Koga here, knee in the back of a criminal, and looking much the same as he had the night the two of them had…

She blushed and shook herself, coming back to her senses and now noticing that she had yet to extricate herself from Yashiro’s protective embrace, not that he was making any moves to let her go, himself. In fact, she felt him grip her just a tad tighter and took note of the slight curl of his upper lip as he glared at Koga from across the roof.

He didn't like how the mangy wolf was looking at her, and the anxious scent suddenly permeating the air around the young woman set him on edge.

Brought out of his thoughts about how satisfying it would be to punch that stupid smirk off Koga’s ugly face by a small hand curling around his bicep, he looked down at the appendage curiously before quirking a brow and looking its owner in the face.

The smile she gave him was shy and slightly sheepish, and he didn't understand her silent request at first until he followed her gaze to where his arms were still tightly wrapped around her lithe body.

_Shit…_

Grumbling something unintelligible under his breath that sounded suspiciously like a half-baked apology, he let go of her with only a hint of reluctance and backed away. His mouth was still firmly turned downward as he turned on his heel and crossed his arms over his chest in a move to survey the terrain, and Kagome was about to shake her head and laugh at his frail attempt at covering up his pout when she noticed something that brought her pause.

“Mr. Nishimura, your back!” she gasped, and Yashiro tensed.

_Double shit…_ he thought as Kagome stood and stepped up to him, examining the broad expanse of his back critically.

He was covered in cuts and scrapes! His shirt had been torn to shreds from the debris, hanging around him in tattered rags and revealing lurid streaks of blood littering his back and shoulders.

Kagome felt a pang of guilt at having been spared such abuse at the expense of his wellbeing - again - but she couldn't help the way her gaze was drawn to the slight flex of his muscles as he stiffened under her scrutiny.

Tan skin was drawn taut over his hard, unyielding physique, and under the fresh wounds - which, she noted with some relief, weren't as serious as she had first thought - she could make out a decent amount of scars that had her sucking her teeth. He was obviously no stranger to abuse, she mused as her hand rose unbidden to trace a particularly angry looking scar that ran diagonally across his back from his shoulder to the opposite hip.

_Of course_ , she thought, _I could have come to that conclusion myself based on everything that's happened so far, and I've only known him for barely 24 hours!_

She marveled at the solid stretch of powerful maleness beneath her fingertips, offhandedly wondering how hard he must work to keep himself in such exquisite shape, before settling into a more professional role and using the shredded remains of his shirt to clean the worst of his wounds in a perfunctory manner.

Yashiro, for his part, was caught between wanting to turn around and surround himself in the sweet scent of the woman or throwing himself off the roof in frustration.

She was _touching_ him, for fuck’s sake! Gentle and tentative at first, but with more pressure as her confidence grew, and the way she had traced her fingers down his spine had him wanting to roll over and pant.

He could smell how much she appreciated the view, and for once he was grateful that Koga was here, because if not he would have surely made an ass of himself by kneeling down and pressing his nose against the source of her tantalizing scent.

He didn't know what it was about this tiny female that had his canine instincts attempting to claw their way to the surface, but _shit_ he needed to get a hold of himself before he disgraced himself, the YTF, or his heritage.

Calling upon his monumental self-control honed through years of battling both animal _and_ demon instincts, Yashiro stepped away from Kagome’s comforting touch just as she was finishing cleaning up his back to the best of her ability. He didn't even really care about his wounds; if it hadn't been for Kagome’s reaction, he wouldn't have even noticed them, and they would have healed up without him having paid them any mind. A part of him was touched by her concern, but he tamped that down when he remembered that she still thought he was only human, and those wounds would have been a much bigger deal if he were weaker.

Sighing, he tore the rest of his shirt away, not a fan of having to walk around with half of it hanging off him in tattered pieces, and he didn't miss the way Kagome’s breath hitched when he turned to face her.

He smirked at her wide-eyed expression, taking one last drag of her alluring scent before cocking his head in Koga’s direction and saying, “Come on, Detective. We've got work to do.”

When he turned to make his way across the rooftop, Kagome subtly fanned her face in an effort to collect herself.

Good grief, was every inch of him sculpted from marble?!

She hadn't expected him to rip the rest of his shirt off, though she assumed walking around with it only half-intact would be rather annoying.

That said, she wasn't prepared for the riot of hormones set aflutter and settling in the pit of her stomach when he turned to face her, giving her an eyeful of delicious bronze skin poured over hard pectorals and a washboard abdomen.

_Oh my…_

She knew he had a nice body, had felt the hard lines of his muscles the many times he had held her protectively against him, and she had imagined how nice he would look from the phantom memory of those embraces alone, but seeing every glorious inch of him did not do her imagination justice. She didn't have a particularly dirty mind, but she couldn't help toying with the thought of how wonderful all six foot-something of him would feel pressed intimately against her, her thighs wrapped firmly around his trim waist…

Shaking herself, she took another moment to pull herself together before trotting after Yashiro as he made his way over to where Koga was now slapping a pair of large handcuffs on Kyokotsu’s thick wrists.

Koga gave the two of them a wary look as they approached, then with a warning kick to Kyokotsu’s ribs, he stood and leveled a glare at Yashiro.

“Took you long enough,” he sneered, then, in a hushed voice that only those with sensitive ears could hear, “The fuck is Kagome doing here, mutt? She shouldn't be hanging around the YTF - it's too dangerous, not to mention too close! She'll find out.”

The last part was hissed, and Yashiro took a step back to look at the other man with raised eyebrows.

“How the fuck do you know Kagome?” Then, another more pressing thought piqued his attention, and he growled low while glaring at Koga, “And it's not too dangerous, asshole. She's not some delicate flower, and I'm there to protect her if anything gets out of hand.” As if to make his point, he jabbed a thumb behind him to indicate his bloody back.

Koga made a face and crossed his arms over his chest indignantly. “A weak puppy doesn't serve as much protection. And anyway, what if she finds out about-”

“Find out about what?” Kagome asked as she sidled up next to Yashiro, cheeks still a little pink as she resolutely kept her gaze off the tall, bare-chested man.

Koga’s nose twitched, and Yashiro glared at him in warning, knowing full well that he could smell the slightly aroused scent still clinging to the young woman. He mentally clamped down hard on the thought of snapping the other male in half for daring to scent her, reminding himself for the umpteenth time that it was inappropriate to feel this protective over a woman he had only just met - no matter how smart and pretty she was, or how seductively her scent called to him - and refocused on the topic at hand.

“She already knows demons exist, moron. I'm assuming I don't have to introduce you two?”

He glanced between the two of them, noting Kagome’s anxious shifting and Koga’s unwavering glare in his direction, as if _he_ was a threat. Yashiro glared right back, lip pulling up in a snarl that was made no less threatening by his dull teeth, and the sudden tension in the air was palpable as the two males silently faced off in front of the oblivious female.

Finally, Koga broke eye contact to glance at Kagome, who smiled politely at him and bowed.

“It’s, um, nice to see you again, Koga.”

Her lack of formality did not go unnoticed by Yashiro, but before he could question her, Koga’s next words had his hackles rising.

“You look even more beautiful than the last time I saw you, my Kagome,” and he bowed low before grabbing her hand and pressing a kiss to her knuckles.

Yashiro nearly yanked her away from him, catching himself at the last second and clenching his fists so tightly, it was a wonder his concealed claws hadn't punctured his palms.

“What do you mean, _your_ Kagome?” he growled at the same time Kagome took a step back and muttered, “Koga, _please_.”

This was hardly the time or place for this conversation, so Kagome turned to Yashiro before Koga could provoke him any further and gave him the CliffsNotes version.

“Koga and I met a few years ago while I was on an undercover case investigating the Birds of Paradise.”

The Birds of Paradise had been a lesser-known gang that had terrorized a small portion of Tokyo’s poorer district, named for the way they swooped in like vultures, demanding payment in exchange for protection, sarcastically referring to their little corner of hell as ‘paradise’.

Kagome had been in the middle of her undercover operation when Koga Fujita had swooped in and taken over, neutralizing the threat practically overnight and nearly blowing Kagome’s cover in the process.

The bounty hunter was loud, brash, and impossibly handsome with his long black ponytail and flawless caramel skin, and Kagome had captivated his interest from the moment she stormed up to him, hands on her hips and demanding he stand down.

_Seems I have a type_ , she thought absently as she glanced sidelong at Yashiro, who had smoothed his features into an impassive mask, though she didn't miss the way his jaw ticked in annoyance, and his fists were still clenched tightly at his sides.

“I am surprised to see you here now, Koga. You know about the YTF?”

The two men ceased their intense staring contest to both look down at her, and she fought the urge to roll her eyes. They reminded her of two alpha males fighting for dominance.

Koga scoffed at her question. “Know about them? They tried to recruit me a few years ago.” A few _hundred_ years ago, actually, but she didn't need to know that. “Told ‘em to screw off; I don't work for anyone but me. I'm more of a lone wolf, if you will.”

He gave her a sly smirk, ignoring Yashiro’s subsonic warning growl that had a few frightened pigeons taking flight.

Kagome gave him a dazzling smile and laughed softly.

“You know, believe it or not, I could have guessed that without you telling me.”

It made sense that Koga knew about the YTF, Kagome reasoned. He was a bounty hunter that dealt with a variety of both low and high level criminals, and she didn’t doubt for a second that he - like Captain Kaede - had stuck his nose where it didn’t belong and stumbled upon the task force during one of his many dangerous missions. If there was one thing she knew about Koga, it was that he was persistent, and he wouldn’t have been able to let something go if it was important to him.

Yashiro, for his part, was trying to keep himself from tearing Koga a new asshole while simultaneously watching to make sure the dumb wolf didn’t let anything slip about either of their actual identities.

A stern look and a low woof that went unheard by Kagome was all it took for Koga to understand the gravity of their situation, though Yashiro assumed with the way the idiot was acting around Kagome that he figured out he couldn’t just blurt out that the two of them were demons without seriously freaking the poor girl out.

_Would you look at that; the jackass is actually capable of thinking before speaking, for once._

He didn’t like at all how chummy the two of them were toward each other, so with a grunt he turned his attention to Kyokotsu to hopefully reorient the conversation.

“So what’s the bounty on this asshole’s head? We’ll double it to keep him here for questioning.”

Kagome raised an eyebrow at that; she knew for a fact from past research that bounties on such high class criminals as the Band of Seven ran pretty steep. Just how much money did Yashiro and his brother have?

Koga smiled ruefully and jabbed his foot into Kyokotsu’s side.

“Well, I was hoping to bag that nutcase, Suikotsu. His bounty is up to 9 hundred thousand yen. This sad sack of shit is only worth 6 hundred thousand.”

Yashiro nodded, then shrugged.

“We’ll give you an even 12 for him.”

Kagome’s eyes nearly bugged out of her head - who had that kind of money to just be throwing around so willingly?! - and almost had to clutch her chest to make sure her heart hadn’t stopped.

The nonchalant way in which Koga thought it over for a moment before nodding and shaking Yashiro’s hand, as if exchanging hundreds of thousands of yen was something they did everyday, was perhaps even more shocking, but Kagome reined in her wayward emotions to deal with at a more convenient time and moved to take a closer look at their captive, if only to distract herself from the surprising developments getting thrown at her left and right where Yashiro and Koga were concerned.

Kyokotsu’s face was turned down, eyes closed, as if he were asleep, but when Kagome knelt to examine him his entire body tensed, and he cracked open one eyelid to track her movements.

“My name is Detective Kagome Higurashi, of the TMPD.”

She was met with silence, though it looked like he was listening to her, at least.

“Did Bankotsu send you to break Suikotsu out?”

This time, Kyokotsu scoffed, and both Yashiro and Koga subtly inched closer to Kagome. In case this mountain of a man decided to make a move, they needed to be prepared to step in.

Kagome noted their movements out of the corner of her eye, and the part of her that could still feel this large man’s hands wrapped around her neck with the intention of crushing her windpipe was grateful, but she drudged on despite the threat, knowing that - of the three of them - Kyokotsu would probably be most likely to talk to her. She at least seemed non-threatening enough, and with his perceived vendetta against Yashiro and the way Koga had apprehended him, she was certain he’d clam up if either of them tried to get anything out of him.

“Why do you laugh? It _was_ Bankotsu who sent you, right? Like how he sent Yura to kill Agent Nishimura and myself?”

Kyokotsu made another noise - somewhere between a grunt and a snort - but did not outright answer her.

Sighing, Kagome called upon an old trick that she had picked up from her many years of interrogating alongside Sango.

“Alright, then. Agent Nishimura,” she began, brushing her hands off on her jeans before standing, stretching, and looking between the two men, “I think we should let him go.” 

She waited a beat, then moved in closer to the two as if to continue in private, though she spoke loud enough for Kyokotsu to still be able to hear what she was saying. 

“Look, it’s obvious he’s not going to cooperate; besides, we’re already locked onto the location of the helicopter, anyway. We’ll find out where it’s headed soon enough, and the best part is they’ll think that this poor fool was the one who told us where to go!”

Both Yashiro and Koga gaped wide-eyed at the young woman as she casually flipped her hair over her shoulder and waited expectantly. Lying about tracking the helicopter was one thing, but letting Kyokotsu go after he had just moments ago tried to kill her? Was she serious?

One look at the twinkle in her hazel eyes told them she was up to something, but before either of them could question her judgement - or, more specifically, her sanity - Kyokotsu’s head snapped up and a look of horror crossed his face.

“No! Do not send me back out there! If he finds out I tried to kill you or thinks that I told you anything, there will be hell to pay!”

He sounded almost hysteric, shaking his head manically and attempting to scuttle away from the three of them. His reaction brought Kagome pause; she had expected him to freak out at the idea of Bankotsu thinking he betrayed him and the rest of his brothers. She hadn’t, however, expected him to be so vehemently against being set free, and his reaction to nearly killing her came as a shock to her as well as Yashiro and Koga.

She didn’t think Bankotsu would care one way or another if she were dead, but then she recalled something else from earlier that same day:

_“The bounty on your head isn’t nearly as high...and they want you **alive**. That’s just not my style.”_

Yura had been assigned to kill Yashiro, but she had been given specific orders to keep Kagome alive. She had been on the Band of Seven case for quite some time now, but she didn’t think she was so important to Bankotsu that he would want to spare her death. If anything, she figured he’d want to kill her doubly for her constant pushing into his business and the fact that _she_ was the one who took Suikotsu down initially.

So the big question was: if there was no reason for Bankotsu to keep her alive, then why would Kyokotsu be punished for trying to kill her earlier? And _why_ had Yura been ordered to spare her?

She stared hard at Kyokotsu as he continued to shake and edge away from her, turbulent thoughts practically scrolling across her face as she walked up to him and fisted the collar of his shirt. 

Yashiro and Koga both quickly moved to back her up on either side, not knowing what she was planning, but on guard all the same in case Kyokotsu decided to lash out - which would have been a definite possibility, if he wasn’t in such a pitiful state at the moment. As it was, Kagome had no problem manhandling his large body, and he wasn’t making any moves to stop her.

“If _who_ finds out? Bankotsu?”

Kyokotsu shook his head frantically, the terrified look in his eyes having nothing to do with the small woman currently shaking him by the front of his shirt.

“Then _who_ , Kyokotsu? Who sent you, if not Bankotsu?”

The large man was trembling at this point, fear seeping from every pore in his body, and Yashiro’s nose crinkled at the smell. What the hell was going on? The guy wasn’t this afraid of Kagome; that was pretty obvious from earlier, and yet he was reduced to a quivering mass of tears before their very eyes. It’s as if Kagome’s questions were bringing back unpleasant memories that were sending him into a bizarre form of shock.

Suddenly, the shaking ceased, and Kyokotsu’s eyes rolled back in his head, as if his mind was simply shutting down against something he couldn’t fully process, his exhausted body finally giving out under the day’s many stressors.

Kagome let go of him, allowing him to fall back, but before his head met the concrete and unconsciousness took him, he muttered a single name, so soft that it was nearly carried away on the afternoon breeze.

“Naraku.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some shameless InuYasha body-love to make your holidays brighter! I realize that canonically he doesn't scar, but I figured a little tweak wouldn't harm anything. 
> 
> As always, I appreciate your kind words of encouragement and any constructive criticism you may have. You, my dear readers, are what keep this story going!
> 
> Ciao, lovelies,
> 
> Your Mistress


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A break from the action and some more exposition (aka: if I titled my chapters, this one would be called "Whispers on the Wind")

Kagome’s eyebrows skyrocketed.

“Naraku? Who’s that?”

She looked up at Koga, who happened to be the closest to her proximity-wise, but he only shrugged and shook his head.

“Got me. Sound familiar, Yash?”

They both turned to look at Yashiro, whose face had taken on a dark expression as he glared at Kyokotsu’s prone form. His upper lip pulled up into a snarl at Koga’s unwanted nickname - they were not _friends_ , dammit! - and his eyes flashed dangerously in the mid-afternoon sunlight.

“Oh- _ho_. I’m gonna take that as a yes.”

“Shut it, asshole!”

“Oi! Watch the language around the lovely lady!”

“Gentlemen, _please_!” Kagome interrupted, stepping between the two of them with raised hands and marveling that she _once again_ had to break up a fight between Yashiro and another male. As debonair as the guy could be toward her sometimes, he really did have an awful temper when it came to other people.

Once the two of them had calmed down enough that she didn’t have to worry about Yashiro socking Koga in the face or Koga kicking Yashiro upside the head, she let her hands drop to her sides and turned to face Yashiro, hoping if she was the one asking the questions he’d be more liable to cooperate.

“Now, Mr. Nishimura: who is this Naraku guy?”

After counting to ten silently and tamping down the anger that always flared whenever Koga opened his mouth, Yashiro huffed his hair out of his face and looked down at Kagome.

“Truthfully, I’ve never met the jerk, but I’ve heard stories. Awful, disgusting stories about how he treats his allies, and I can only imagine what he does with people he considers his enemies.” He shuddered. “He’s...not a good person. Not even a person, really, so much as pure evil wrapped in sin and walking around in a vaguely human body.”

Yashiro broke eye contact at that, Kagome’s completely open and trustful gaze making him uncomfortable; when was the last time anyone had looked at him like that?

Shaking that unwelcome thought from his mind to deal with at a more convenient time, he crossed his arms over his chest and took on a thoughtful expression.

“I don’t really know much about the guy aside from vague stuff…”

A thought crossed his mind, one that would get them some answers, but one that had him visibly cringing and wishing he hadn’t even conjured up the idea in the first place.

_I really don’t feel like dealing with her today..._

Kagome noticed his involuntary flinch and took a step forward, placing a hand on his tense forearm in reassurance.

“Mr. Nishimura?”

The cool press of her fingers was gentle, meant for encouragement, but the shockwaves of heat that ran up his arm had almost the opposite effect, causing him to stiffen more before huffing and shaking her off, embarrassed at his reaction to a simple touch from her.

“I don’t know much about Naraku...but I know someone who might.”

*~*~*~*~*

After they - with Koga’s assistance - dragged Kyokotsu down to one of the YTF’s holding cells, Yashiro and Kagome parted ways with the bounty hunter to start their investigation into the mysterious Naraku.

“If you find anything out, you’ll let us know?” Kagome had asked Koga before they left, and he smiled handsomely and nodded.

“Anything for you, Kagome. I'll keep my ears open. You still have my number?”

She blushed and nodded, remembering the circumstances surrounding her getting his number in the first place.

“Good. Give me a call if you need anything.” She smiled, but before she could respond, he reached out and grasped her hands tightly between his own. “I mean it, Kagome. Anything, and I'll be there. Don't be a stranger.”

She didn't think her face could get any redder - she was, of course, proven wrong when she caught Yashiro staring at the two of them - and she nodded and muttered a soft, “Thank you.”

Koga smiled at that, and then a sly look crossed his face as he, too, took notice of Yashiro’s irritated violet gaze on them.

Mischievously, he said, “It was a pleasure seeing you, as always. Until next time, my Kagome,” and, never taking his eyes off the bristling Yashiro, he bowed low and placed a gentle kiss on the back of her hand.

The growl that issued from deep within Yashiro’s throat had Koga smirking victoriously, and Kagome’s cute fluster was incredibly endearing as he stood, gave a half-assed salute, and ran away, leaving the two of them standing there in a shocked and embarrassed stupor.

Finally, Yashiro cleared his throat, cutting through the awkward silence.

“We should get going.”

Kagome nodded silently and followed him to the parking garage, trying not to let the images of their previous time there creep into her mind.

Yashiro didn't seem at all disturbed to be in the same structure in which he had only a few hours ago nearly bled out, which had Kagome wondering unbidden how often he had come close to death in his seemingly extensive career.

She eyed him curiously as they passed by an officer and his police dog, whose tail set to wagging excitedly when he noticed Yashiro.

He didn't look much older than herself; late twenties, maybe early thirties, yet his actions indicated he had been at this a lot longer than she had. Sure, he was grumpy and brash at times, having very little patience for Koga’s antics and a bit of a brat with his older brother, but his level-headedness in the face of danger was something a person developed after several years of reacting under pressure. Heck, she had been at this for nearly a decade, and she still froze up sometimes!

She watched as he absently patted the dog on the head, the fluffy Akita whining happily before its owner tugged its leash and it bounded away.

“Are you a dog person?” Kagome asked as they continued to the elevator bay of the parking garage, and Yashiro whipped his head down to look at her strangely.

“Wh-what?”

She raised a brow, but shrugged off his odd behavior as him still being irritated over their previous interaction with Koga. “That dog back there. He really seemed to like you a lot. I figured you might own a dog or something…”

The cautious look he was giving her faded to understanding and subtle relief. “Oh...uh, yeah, I guess you could say that. I’m definitely not a cat person.”

“Really?”

They boarded the lift, Yashiro pressing the button for the fourth floor, and Kagome’s eyebrows furrowed; hadn't he parked the motorcycle on the third story?

“Can’t stand ‘em. They're condescending little devils. At least dogs have some sense of loyalty.”

Kagome laughed and nodded.

“I guess. My family’s cat, Buyo, is just a fat lump that lazes around the house all day. He doesn't even try to catch the mice that run around in the attic!”

“Feh. Useless animals, the lot of them.”

They exited the elevator onto the fourth floor, and Kagome’s curiosity finally got the best of her when Yashiro led her toward a sleek black sports car.

“Isn't your motorcycle on the third floor? Why are we here?”

He made a face, but didn't stop his gait, producing a pair of keys from his jeans pocket and unlocking the car with a flash of its headlights.

“Well, since _someone_ was so adamantly against riding the chopper, Sess decided it would be better if we took one of the task force’s units instead.”

He opened the passenger side door for her, and she definitely did _not_ blush as she had to squeeze by him to get into the car. He had grabbed a spare shirt after their debacle on the roof, but she could still very much see the outline of his thick muscles through the thin tee, and the memory of what he looked like underneath was not so easily shaken from her mind.

“Yeah, well, _excuse_ me for not having a death wish. Honestly, that thing is an accident waiting to happen, _especially_ with the way _you_ drive it!” she countered after he had made his way over to the driver’s side and revved the engine.

He snorted as he checked his mirrors and pulled out of the parking space. “I am an excellent driver. Not my fault you’re so uptight…”

“I am _not_ uptight!”

“Yeah, yeah, Sweetness. Whatever you say.”

They lapsed into silence from there, the soft music playing on the radio filling the void as Kagome bristled and Yashiro focused his attention on the road.

A few minutes into their drive, Yashiro finally glanced at her out of the corner of his eye and said, “So...you and Koga, huh?”

Kagome, still a little bitter over their earlier argument, turned up her nose and pointedly turned to look out the window.

“I don’t see how that’s any of your business.”

Yashiro resisted the urge to growl at her attitude, but he tamped it down in favor of sighing and focusing on the road again.

The silence dragged on once again until Kagome - feeling a little guilty for her childish behavior - took pity on him and turned to face him again.

“So, where are we going?” She had been busy locking up Kyokotsu, filling in Miroku - who had been knocked out cold during Suikotsu’s jailbreak - on what had happened, and checking in on Sango back at the TMPD, and she had missed Yashiro’s briefing with Sesshuo in the process of all that.

Yashiro grunted. “You’ll see soon enough.” He glanced sidelong at her and noted her furrowed eyebrows. “Oh, come on! Have a little faith. You act like I’m tricking you into coming home with me or something.”

Kagome rolled her eyes and tried not to blush as her mind supplied images of his agile, shirtless body holding her against him as he whisked her away to his home for a nightcap gone salacious.

“As if,” she said, and if her breathing had become slightly heavier, she hoped he hadn’t noticed, “I have every right to be wary. It feels like every time I go anywhere with you something bad ends up happening and someone tries to kill me.”

He winced, and even though there was a jovial lilt to her voice that indicated she was kidding around, he still couldn’t fully shake the truth of her statement. He wanted to apologize, but couldn’t find the words; he’d never been good at that kind of stuff, so he just stayed silent.

An awkward stretch of quiet filled the space between them before Kagome cleared her throat.

“There’s nothing between me and Koga now, by the way,” she said quietly, and he watched as she nervously twiddled her fingers in her lap.

Yashiro thought she was going to say more, or perhaps explain what ‘now’ meant, but she just continued to fidget and glance around anxiously, so instead of pushing the subject, he grunted noncommittally and let it drop.

They drove the rest of the way in companionable silence, but luckily the ride didn’t take too long, and in just a few more short minutes, they were pulling up to a gated driveway on the very outskirts of town.

Yashiro rolled down the window and pressed a buzzer, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel impatiently as, after a moment, the gates began to open slowly in front of them. As they drove up the winding driveway, Kagome’s eyes widened and surveyed the pristine, manicured lawn that seemed to stretch on for acres, and she couldn’t help but wonder who they were meeting with that had the money and connections to accrue this much space in such an overpopulated area.

She very nearly gasped when Yashiro parked the car in front of a large, sprawling mansion.

“Where _are_ we?” she whispered in awe, not really looking for an answer nor caring if Yashiro even heard her as she scrambled out of the car and gazed appreciatively up at the intricate layout.

He, of course, had heard her, but chose not to answer, instead moving around to her side of the car and ushering her toward the steps leading up to the door. This really wasn’t how he had wanted to spend his day, but after briefing Sesshuo on everything, the both of them had decided that this was the best course of action to take to get some answers.

He just hoped she was in a good mood today.

Sighing, he reached up to ring the doorbell, but before he could press the button, the door opened to reveal a teenage boy with long, black hair braided back out of his face and curious, russet eyes.

“What are you doing here, Uncle?”

_‘Uncle’?_ Kagome thought curiously, turning to give Yashiro a strange look, but the man was studiously avoiding her gaze in favor of crossing his arms over his chest and narrowing his eyes at the boy.

“I should ask you the same thing, brat. Shouldn’t you be in school right now?”

A small smile tilted up the corners of the boy’s mouth as he shook his head and leaned against the doorframe, quite conspicuously blocking their entry.

“I received top marks on my exams last week, so I was exempt from my after-school duties today.”

He was surprisingly well-spoken for someone his age, and the way he was carrying himself seemed awfully familiar to Kagome.

_I can’t place it...he almost reminds me of…_

“Detective Higurashi,” Yashiro said, interrupting her train of thought as he gestured to the boy still leaning against the entryway, “This is my nephew, Sesshuo’s first born son, Akihiko Nishimura.”

Akihiko turned his attention from Yashiro to her, and it was like being smacked in the face by recognition. He looked almost _exactly_ like Sesshuo! Well, what she assumed Sesshuo had looked like in his youth, anyway.

After a moment of critical assessment with eyes that reminded her just a little too much of her stolid superior back at the YTF headquarters, Akihiko straightened his posture and bowed respectfully.

“It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Detective. I hear you and my Uncle went out with quite the bang at _Shikon_ last evening.”

Kagome bowed in greeting, then nearly choked at his pun. Now _that_ was something she had never heard from Sesshuo; in just the few hours she had known him, she could already tell that he wasn’t much of the carefree, joking type.

_He must get that from his mother, then._

That thought brought her pause, and when she straightened from her bow she turned and eyed Yashiro suspiciously.

“Mr. Nishimura…” she began in a tone that had him stiffening and avoiding eye contact, “... _why_ are we here?”

Yashiro didn’t respond right away, which was a mistake on his part, because it gave Akihiko enough time to assess the situation, step in, and cause mischief.

“Oh, that’s right! Father called while you two were on your way over here. He said you would be questioning my mother regarding her dealings with the criminal Naraku. Silly me, I must have forgotten.”

“Why, you little - ”

“Aki, stop tormenting your uncle!” a feminine voice called from within the house, and both Akihiko and Yashiro tensed as a woman appeared behind the boy, a sly smile pulling up the corners of her ruby red lips. “That’s my job.”

Kagome eyed the new arrival curiously, taking note of her various features: a stunningly beautiful face, sharp, cognac-hued eyes that were made even more pronounced by her striking porcelain skin, ink-black hair messily pulled to the top of her head and secured with a feathered pin, and, further down, a simple blue yukata wrapped across a round belly flush with child.

Her mischievous smile matched the one Akihiko had given them earlier, and Kagome came to the conclusion that this must be his mother, Sesshuo’s wife.

Her hypothesis was confirmed when the woman reached out her left hand in a Western-style greeting, her wedding ring glinting in the afternoon sunlight.

“My name is Kagura Nishimura,” she said, the tone of her voice low and altogether pleasant as Kagome met her halfway in a handshake, “It’s very nice to meet you, Miss Higurashi. I'm very grateful for your assistance last night and today. Someone has to keep an eye on my favorite brother-in-law to make sure he doesn't do anything too reckless!”

Yashiro grumbled something that sounded like, “I'm your only brother-in-law,” but his words were lost to Kagura’s as she ushered the two of them into the house.

“Well, don’t just stand there; come in! Sesshuo called while you were on your way here, so I whipped up some tea. It will be ready shortly.”

“Why are you answering the door and making the tea? Where are the servants, Kagura?” Yashiro asked as they made their way into a large tatami room.

Kagura made a vague gesture, and Kagome startled when Akihiko moved to take her and Yashiro’s jackets.

“They were bothering me. I'm pregnant, Yash, not paralyzed. I am physically capable of taking care of myself, and yet Sesshuo has the entire staff waiting on me hand and foot like I’m some helpless child instead of a grown-ass-woman. It was annoying me, so I sent everyone home early today.”

As she spoke, she was waddling around the room, opening curtains to let light into the space and allowing a soft, late-summer breeze to filter in. She pointed at the _chabudai_ situated in the middle of the room, and Kagome and Akihiko followed her unspoken order to sit at the table while Yashiro took to leaning against the entryway and surveying the scene from a distance.

“Fine, but you should have at least kept a few around to answer the door and guard the perimeter. Sess has a lot of enemies that wouldn’t hesitate to get to him through you while you're a lot more vulnerable to an attack.”

Kagura snorted in a very unladylike fashion. “Please. I’d like to see someone _try_ to attack me right now! I'm so fat, all I’d have to do is sit on them and I’d probably kill them.”

She sighed, disappearing for a moment and returning with a tray of tea and _dorayaki_.

“I get it, though. I'll make sure to at least keep the security detail on next time.”

Akihiko made a show of puffing out his chest as his mother set a teacup on the table in front of him.

“If anything were to happen, I'd protect you, Mother.”

Kagura laughed and kissed the top of his head as she passed. “I don't doubt that for a second, Aki.”

Yashiro rolled his eyes and finally moved from his post holding up the wall, taking the tray from Kagura as she struggled to balance it against her tummy while placing the plate of treats and the teapot in the center of the table. With his help, she was able to set everything up to her liking before pinching his cheek roughly in thanks and moving to sit across from Kagome and Akihiko.

“Quit kissing your mom’s ass, runt. Anyway, you're still just a kid; she still needs the professional security detail Sesshuo and I hand-selected to keep her safe.”

“I'm plenty capable of keeping myself safe, thank you.”

“Quit calling me ‘runt’! I'm almost the same height as you!”

“Yeah? You're still a wiry little thing, though. And who knocked whom on their ass the last time we sparred?”

“Oh, stop antagonizing him, Yashiro. And Aki, show your uncle a scrap of respect.”

“But, Mother…”

“Um, excuse me?”

All three of them fell silent and turned to look at Kagome, as if forgetting she had been there for a moment, and her softly spoken words had snapped them out of their argument.

Resisting the urge to shy away from the suddenly intense gazes set on her, Kagome cleared her throat and looked Kagura in the eye.

“Pardon me, Mrs. Nishimura...”

“Kagura,” the woman interrupted, and Kagome nodded.

“Right...er...Kagura. I don't mean to push, but I’d really like to hear about your connection with this Naraku.”

Kagura considered the young detective for a moment, coffee eyes flickering with hints of amber as a soft smile spread across her lips.

“Of course. That is the reason for your visit, isn't it? Down to business, then.”

She took a deep breath and stretched her arms over her head, eying Kagome thoughtfully before settling her sharp gaze on Yashiro as he moved to sit cross-legged beside the young woman.

“Before we discuss the past, you must understand: I was a different person back then. I had never been shown love or any form of respect. I was cold, calculating, and would do just about anything for a meal ticket. I am not telling you any of this so that you will be inclined to sympathize; I did what I had to do to survive. I am not proud of my past indiscretions, but I have come to accept my actions and am continually working to atone for my sins.”

Kagome nodded and resisted the urge to lean forward on the table in anticipation; it felt like this woman was setting them up for an epic tale, and she couldn't help but wait with baited breath for her to continue.

“Alright, I suppose I should just out with it, then: I used to work for the criminal known as Naraku.”

Kagura let that statement sit for a moment, reaching down to errantly run her hand over her swollen belly.

“I'll spare you the boring details of the where and the when,” Kagome missed the meaningful look she gave Yashiro, as focused as she was on Kagura’s words, “but there was a time in my youth when I did...unspeakable things to appease that horrible man.

“I still have nightmares about the screams of his victims I always heard echoing through the halls of our hideout, but I always reasoned that if I didn't continue to do his bidding, I would be next.”

A frown turned down the corners of her mouth, her forehead creasing as she struggled to repress the memories that still kept her up at night from time to time.

“It would be difficult to classify _what_ exactly Naraku was...he wasn't entirely human, not a demon, either, though. I wouldn't even call him a half-demon; he was just... _off_ ,” she finished lamely, hands working in front of her as she attempted to describe the terrifying amalgamation of sins that was this Naraku character.

“That said, it's hard to put into words what type of person he was, as well. The closest I could get would be that he was a psychopath. He acted normally enough, could even be charming at times, but there were these moments...he took an almost perverse pleasure in hurting other people. It started with those who had personally wronged him, an odd sort of mission to avenge his tortured soul. That was what had originally drawn me to him: his offer to destroy those who had threatened to destroy me, and the promise of my enemies groveling under my boot heel was too enticing to pass up at the time.”

She smiled ruefully and looked up at them. “Remember, I never said I was absolved of all wrongdoing - I was an abused, tortured youth who was convinced the world was out to get her. I became part of his gang of my own volition with very little coercion on his part.”

“So Naraku was a mob boss?” Kagome asked after a moment of silent contemplation, giving Kagura a respectable amount of time to collect herself while continuing with the topic at hand.

Kagura nodded curtly, then moved onto her knees and turned so her back was facing the other three in the room. Kagome was confused at first, then sucked a sharp breath in through her teeth when Kagura unfastened her yukata and let it fall far enough for them to take in the lurid scar, vaguely arachnoid in shape, left behind from a burn etched into the delicate, pale skin of her back.

Out of the corner of her eye, she took note of each male’s reaction; Akihiko’s head snapped down and he growled lowly, as if unable to look at the ugly mark marring his mother’s skin, and Yashiro subtly clenched his fists where they rested on his knees and ground his teeth.

“Each member of ‘The Web’ - as he liked to refer to us in the collective - was branded with the mark of the spider on their back.”

Assured everyone had gotten a good look at the burn mark, Kagura shrugged back into her robe before turning and plopping back down on her cushion to face her stunned-silent audience.

“The bastard was sadistic; he branded us so that, even if we double-crossed him and he had to leave us in a ditch somewhere, everyone would know that we were not innocent victims. Even though the gang itself disbanded several years ago, the mark serves as a reminder of the atrocities we committed under his command, and continues to haunt me to this day.”

“You are more than the sins of your past, Mother,” Akihiko spoke softly, and Kagura smiled and reached across the table to cradle his large, clenched fist in her daintier one.

“Thank you, my son, but I am not ashamed of where I came from; it only shows how far I have come since then. If it wasn't for my work with Naraku, I would have never met your father.”

The soft look in her eyes hardened as she turned her attention to Kagome once more.

“It wasn’t until after I found out Naraku had been harming innocent people for the fun of it that I started to purposely slip up during my assignments. I was always tasked with luring in his male victims...by any means necessary,” she made a face, and Kagome couldn’t even imagine the horrible deeds she had to endure on these so-called assignments.

“When I discovered that most of these people weren’t the awful tyrants he was making them out to be, found out the awful, _awful_ things he did to his female victims, especially, I began to get sloppy, hoping that if I slipped up just enough, someone would track me back to the son of a bitch and put him down like the monster he was.

“And that’s how I met Sesshuo.”

Despite her solemn thoughts, she smiled fondly at the memory.

“You see, it was around that time that Sesshuo had just come into power at the YTF’s main operational headquarters, and someone had tipped him off to the possibility that this not-quite-demon Naraku was putting together a band of misfit humans and demons alike, terrorizing the masses and the likely suspect in over two dozen missing persons cases. He was coming dangerously close to blowing the lid on the youkai population, so Sesshuo himself set up an ambush at the location of what they hypothesized would be his next victim’s abduction site.

“It just so happened that I had been assigned to capture this victim, and I fell right into Sesshuo’s trap. He arrested me on the spot and had me carted off for questioning.”

She chuckled at that and shook her head, reaching up to curl a few stray hairs behind her ear as her cognac eyes flashed with amusement.

“It definitely wasn’t love at first sight…”

Yashiro snorted. “ _That’s_ an understatement. Didn’t you try to kill him?”

“In my defense: he started it.”

The two of them shared a soft laugh, as if remembering an inside joke, and Kagome was grateful for the reprieve; the conversation had taken a dark turn there for a bit while Kagura had drudged up her murky past, and Kagome didn’t want to cause the poor woman anymore pain or heartache than was minimally necessary to get the answers she needed for the case.

What was more, she had forgotten her notepad in the car, and while she had gotten very good at cataloguing information away for when she had to fill out reports later, she was having a hard time keeping up with the vast amount of information Kagura was giving her at the moment.

Once the room had lapsed into a comfortable silence again, Kagura cleared her throat after delicately lifting her nearly-forgotten tea to her lips.

“Anyway, Sesshuo ran point on my interrogation himself, and it was at that time that we struck up a deal: I would be set free on the condition that, once a week, I would report back everything I found out about Naraku to the YTF. I was a double agent of sorts, and while I wasn’t a fan of all the sneaking around and espionage, I would have done anything at that point to ensure my freedom.”

Her eyes had taken a far-off look to them, and she reached down to once again pat her stomach in an almost absent-minded fashion.

“I think it was Sesshuo’s dedication that won me over in the end. He had told me at one point - in the middle of a loud, vicious argument that had me snarling and cursing at him from across the table in the interrogation room - that he would do everything in his power to avenge my suffering under that sick bastard’s thumb. As cold as he could be, as furious as he could make me, and as much as I wanted to hate him, his words touched me in a place I had thought long ago had died, and I took a chance on him.

“After a few months of spying, I started to suspect that Naraku was onto me. I was starting to fear for my safety - well, whatever safety I had left, working under a ruthless villain - and so I told Sesshuo as much. I wasn’t expecting him to react to my fears; you’ve met the man, right? Not much penetrates that icy shell.”

Yashiro snorted, and Kagome nodded almost too quickly, then caught herself and blushed. Kagura gave her a knowing smile and even laughed a bit.

“No need to be embarrassed. It’s no secret he’s a hardass most of the time. I had expected him to tell me to suck it up and deal with it for just a bit longer, but instead, he almost immediately sent a battalion of agents to Naraku’s hideout, pulling the plug on the mission instantly in concern for my safety. He can be such a softy sometimes.”

Kagome was surprised to see a slight blush rising to Kagura’s cheeks, but she chose not to comment in favor of leaning forward and urging her to continue her story. It seemed they were getting to a good part.

“At times I feel guilty; I felt as though I forced his hand back then, but his dedication to keeping me safe had shown me for the first time what it felt like to be cared for, so more than anything I am grateful to him for that.

Anyway, because we had moved in earlier than anticipated, we were not prepared for Naraku to launch a counterattack that took down nearly two thirds of Sesshuo’s finest agents, the rest left bloodied and beaten and not at all ready for combat. Sesshuo had to enter the fray himself, though I don’t remember much about that fight. I had been tasked with immobilizing as many of his lackeys as I could and had been knocked out cold in the process.”

Kagome couldn’t be sure, but she thought she heard Kagura mutter something under her breath that sounded like, “Hakudoshi, the _brat_ ,” while simultaneously rubbing at a spot on the back of her head, but before she could question it, cognac met hazel again and Kagura continued speaking.

“I was only given vague accounts of what had happened when I came-to later from the few agents who had been able to remain conscious through the events. Sesshuo had apparently landed some crippling blows, but before he could take Naraku down, there had been a large explosion followed by plumes of poison gas being released in the air that had forced him to retreat.

Apparently, Naraku had just up and disappeared after that. They went back in after the gas had cleared, but they couldn’t find his body. Even stranger was that the YTF’s best scent-detectors couldn’t pick up any sign of him at all. It was like he had just vanished from the face of the earth; nothing but a horrifying memory for everyone who knew about him.”

“Why am I just now hearing about all of this?” Kagome asked when it seemed Kagura was finished with her tale; the question had been niggling in the back of her mind throughout the entire explanation, and she couldn’t help but ask. “I feel like if this Naraku guy was causing so much trouble, the TMPD would have at least been informed about his existence.”

Kagura cocked her head curiously and turned her attention to Yashiro, Kagome following suit when it was clear she wasn’t going to get what she needed from the other woman.

Yashiro scratched his cheek absently and furrowed his brows in thought, as if having to remember something from a long time ago.

“His existence was kept under tight wraps the minute we found out he was recruiting demons alongside humans into his gang. We couldn’t let the public get a hold of the case or else the divide between the human and demon worlds would be compromised. You would have probably been told minor details from this case, but names would have been changed and the severity of everything was probably played way down so as to not raise suspicion.”

There was something he wasn’t telling her ( _shocker, Kagome_ , her mind supplied sarcastically), and from the subtle way he shifted and looked away from her for a split second, she could tell it was something important about this case, but she didn’t have a chance to pry as Kagura cleared her throat and began to struggle to her feet.

“Anyway, pertaining to the case you are working on now with the Band of Seven: if I were you, I would check Kyokotsu’s back for the brand of the spider,” she said as she set to clearing their teacups and organizing everything back on the tray, “If Bankotsu is working for Naraku, then each one of his gang’s members will have the mark burned into their back. And if they do, and the Band of Seven is in bed with the likes of that creep, then gods help us all, because it means the bastard is alive.”

Her upper lip pulled into a snarl at the thought, but Kagome noticed the way her hands began to shake slightly out of fear at the possibility of her tormenter returning.

Standing, Kagome reached out and touched the older woman on the shoulder, smiling reassuringly and saying, “Don’t worry; if he’s still alive, I will do everything in my power to bring him down.”

The young detective’s conviction had Kagura’s eyes widening, remembering Sesshuo speaking almost those exact words to her all those years ago. Unbidden, tears formed in the corners of her eyes, yet only one managed to escape down her cheek before she willed them away with a strength she hadn’t had to utilize in years.

At Kagome’s concerned look, she shook her head and swiped her fingers over her cheek to get rid of the evidence of her vulnerability. “Oh, this is nothing, just these pregnancy hormones getting the better of me.”

Despite all of the new information swimming around in her fertile mind, Kagome smiled and took the tray from Kagura, welcoming a bit of lighter distraction as the two of them made their way into the kitchen.

“Pardon my lapse in manners: I forgot to congratulate you! Do you know the sex?”

“It’s a girl, thank goodness! I was starting to feel outnumbered, between Sesshuo, Akihiko, and Yashiro coming to visit all the time!”

Their voices faded the further they got down the hallway until the room was silent once more, only Yashiro and Akihiko remaining.

Finally, the elder of the two spoke.

“Good job keeping your mouth shut, pup. I know it was probably difficult when all you wanted to do was defend your mother’s honor.”

Akihiko huffed and leaned his chin against the table. “I hate hearing about that damn bastard. His name hasn’t come up in years.”

“Because we thought he was dead,” Yashiro pointed out.

The boy waved his hand absently. “All I know is if he's back, I'm gonna bury him six feet under for what he did to her.”

Yashiro smirked; as much as the kid looked like his brother, he had the fiery intensity of Kagura. That, combined with the protective instincts of an inu-youkai flaring within him, and Yashiro didn't doubt for a second that the boy had it in him to make good on his vow.

Chuckling, he reached out to give him a noogie, to which the teenager growled irately and swatted aimlessly at Yashiro’s hands.

“You're a good kid, y'know that?” He laughed as his nephew groaned at having been called a kid, then sobered. “If Naraku is truly back, you’ll have to line up behind your dad and myself to take a whack at him.”

They lapsed into a comfortable silence, sensitive hearing picking up the idle chatter of the women as they busied themselves in the kitchen.

Finally, Akihiko looked up at his uncle and said, “So Miss Higurashi still doesn't know?”

Yashiro grunted and jerked his head in the negative.

“Your dad thinks it would be a good idea to ease her into the idea, though I've almost blown our cover a handful of times in the past day alone thanks to all the attacks aimed at the backs of our heads.”

He sighed and scrubbed his hand down his face in agitation.

“I know she has a billion and two questions she wants to ask me; I can see it in her eyes whenever she looks at me. She's more curious than a damn cat.”

“I'm sure that's what makes her a good detective,” Akihiko supplied, and Yashiro nodded absently.

“You're right about that. It also makes her a royal pain in the ass, though, _especially_ when I'm trying to keep things from her for her own damn good.”

The sly smile that crept across his nephew’s face was a little more knowing than he would have liked.

“Why, Uncle; it sounds to me like you're beginning to _fall_ for our Detective Higurashi.”

Baring blunt teeth, Yashiro cuffed the boy on the head and moved to stand.

“Shut _up_ , brat. You're not too old for me to take over my knee.”

The mischievous glint in Akihiko’s eyes reminded him just a little too much of Kagura for his liking when he said, “Come now, Uncle; save that kind of talk for Miss Higurashi,” then bolted from the room at Yashiro’s enraged shout.

“ _Whelp!_ I will _end_ you!”

*~*~*~*~*~*

Yashiro and Kagome bid farewell to Kagura and Akihiko sometime in the early evening.

The ride back to the YTF headquarters was silent, though Kagome’s thoughts especially were louder than a foghorn as she shifted in her seat and continually kept glancing at Yashiro out of the corner of her eye when she thought he wasn’t looking.

He, of course, noticed every subtle movement she made, and finally said something when his nerves couldn’t take much more of her fidgeting.

“Out with it, Detective. What’s on your mind?”

Kagome startled and tensed beside him, not realizing he was paying attention to her, then looked down at her hands clasped in her lap and bit her lip in concentration as she tried to organize her thoughts.

“Oh! Um...well, Mr. Nishimura, I was just…”

She grumbled; why was this so difficult? All she had to do was ask what was on her mind! She had a right to know, after all. If he, 0r Sesshuo, or anyone at the YTF expected her to trust them, then she deserved some honesty in return.

Exhaling sharply, she bolstered herself and looked up at Yashiro with renewed confidence.

“Mr. Nishimura, there have been some questions that have been bothering me since last night, about you and the YTF, and our conversation with Kagura just now has made it evident that we can’t keep beating around the bush. You’re keeping something from me, and I have reason to believe that it’s something important, or else you wouldn’t be trying so hard to keep me in the dark about it.”

Yashiro’s grip tightened on the steering wheel at her tone, knuckles going white, and she noticed as his posture became stiffer at her words.

“Miss Higurashi…”

“ _Detective_ Higurashi, and if there is something important about this case, I deserve to know. You can’t expect me to fully trust you or the YTF unless you’re totally honest with me.”

She reached out and placed a gentle hand on his forearm, urging him to glance down at her as they came to a stop at an intersection.

“I promise, whatever you have to say, I’ll keep an open mind. I just need to know what’s going on.”

The open, trustworthy look she was giving him had him inhaling a sharp breath through his nose, and he believed her when she said she’d keep an open mind; she had proven already that she was capable of handling a great deal of new developments with little to no prejudice. Maybe it wouldn’t be such a bad idea to tell her…

_Sess is going to kill me for this…_

“Well...Detective Higurashi…the truth is...”

But before he could get another word out, their car suddenly jerked sideways as a dark van barreled into them from the right, sending them flipping off the road and crashing through the entrance of a closed-off industrial park.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chabudai - a short-legged, traditional Japanese table (often replaced by a kotatsu in the winter)  
> dorayaki - a yummy sweet consisting of two pancake-like patties wrapped around a red bean paste filling
> 
> I know I'm going to catch some flack for how OOC Kagura seems in this story. I acknowledge it, and I can assure you it was done on purpose. That said, if you have any questions or concerns, or if you would like to simply give some encouragement for future chapters, please leave them in the comments below. Your feedback is so important to me!
> 
> Ciao, lovelies,
> 
> Your Mistress


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What has the body of a human woman, an insatiable hunger for human flesh, and one hundred twitching insect legs?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know why finishing this chapter was like pulling teeth. I promise you all, next chapter will be longer and updated in a more timely fashion. You guys continue to rock my socks with your wonderful comments and thoughtful criticisms. You truly are what keep this story going, my lovelies.
> 
> Enjoy,
> 
> Your Mistress

“You sent Mistress Centipede to retrieve the girl?”

“Yes, and she was given specific instructions to take her alive, but...do you really think we can trust her? She seemed....hungry.”

“Of course we cannot trust her: she's been asleep for hundreds of years and is understandably cranky. I have every reason to believe she will betray us.”

“Then...why send her to kidnap the human? Aren't you afraid she will kill her?”

“I fear nothing. Mistress Centipede will not be able to kill her. In fact, I think you will find the human is quite capable of taking care of herself. Think of this all as a test of sorts. The satisfaction of a hunch.”

A deep, dark chuckle followed by suffocating silence.

"This should prove to be very interesting…" 

*~*~*~*~*

Yashiro shook his head to try and clear the ringing in his ears.

_Fucking **fuck** , what the hell?!_

Looking around, he quickly took stock of the situation: their car had flipped and they were hanging upside-down by their seatbelts in the middle of an abandoned industrial park. The damage was minimal, but the crash had definitely jarred them to the point of disorientation.

Kagome had, mercifully, been knocked out by the initial collision, so he didn't have to hold back when he ripped her seatbelt out straight from the root and maneuvered them both into an upright position. With a strong kick he tore the driver’s side door off its hinges, then grabbed onto Kagome and slowly shuffled the two of them out of the car, all the while avoiding broken glass and mangled metal.

Laying her out, he gave her body a cursory once-over for injuries, noting that while she would have a bump on her head from the impact of the airbags and bruises from where her seatbelt had caught her, she wouldn't have any serious, permanent wounds from the crash. A strong whiff of her scent informed him that she didn’t even have any internal bleeding, which was astounding, but definitely auspicious. All things considered, he counted the two of them lucky for that.

He swiped blood out of his eyes, his own head having slammed into the steering wheel with enough force to split a gash in his forehead, and growled irately at Kagome’s prone form.

“C’mon, Detective, I need you to wake up…” he said as he patted her cheeks lightly. With a little coercion, she finally shook her head slowly and groaned, trying unsuccessfully to swat his hands away.

“No, Grandpa, I don't want to go to school today. Tell my teacher I’m sick,” she mumbled cutely, and if it weren't for the demonic aura he suddenly sensed in the air, he would have been content to just let her rest for a few more minutes.

As it was, he sensed a lethal amount of jyaki coming their way, and one sniff told him they did not want to fuck with whatever was coming for them.

“ _Shit_ , Kagome, come _on_. Wake up! We gotta get out of here before…”

_**Half-demon spawn.** _

Too late.

Cursing luridly, Yashiro moved the barely-conscious Kagome behind him and crouched low in a fighting stance. The sight that greeted him had him cringing in disgust.

At first glance, she looked like a normal woman, with sheet-white skin and long, black hair, but when Yashiro focused and peeled back the layers of her concealment spell, he saw gnarled fangs protruding from a gaping maw, two more arms sprouting from each of her sides, and a large, writhing arthropodal body trailing behind her on a mass of twitching insectoid legs.

“What forgotten dimension did they dig your scaly ass up from?” he asked, and though he was partially taunting his new opponent, most of him was actually curious; there was no way this creature was just walking around Tokyo all this time, not even with the strong concealment spell currently hiding her roiling exoskeleton and nightmarish appearance. 

Someone had to have broken her seal and summoned her back to this dimension with some powerful magic, and he had a pretty good idea of who that _someone_ was based on the way she was eyeing him like he was her next meal.

She, of course, didn't answer his question, instead trailing her eyes down his tense figure before landing on the prostrate form of Kagome. He noted as she scented the air through her open mouth and growled out a warning for her to stand down.

She didn't listen.

 _ **The woman's blood…**_ a forked tongue passed over her cracked lips as she began to drool, _**smells positively divine.**_

Yashiro snarled. “Too bad you're never going to get the chance to taste it, hag! I don't know who summoned you, but I'm putting you back in the ground where you belong!”

Taking a cautionary swipe at her with his spell-concealed claws, he correctly surmised she could also see past his glamor and knew who she was dealing with when she hissed and scuttled backward to avoid being sliced. 

_**Half-breed InuYasha, son of the Great Dog Demon and his human whore, half-brother of Lord Sesshomaru of the Western Lands, you will die at the hands of me, Mistress Centipede, on this day,**_ she growled, then the fabric of time and space shifted for a moment, and Mistress Centipede stood before him in all her glory, her concealment anchor - what looked like a small silver bracelet - having been tossed to the side.

He was fairly certain he would have remembered this centipede demon from his past, so it was only further fueling his suspicions that someone had sent her after them when she addressed him by his true name and parentage (with a few derogatory terms that had him growling).

If he were in a mirthful mood, he would have laughed at the fact that, if she had been awake, Kagome would have gotten the answers to most of her questions from Mistress Centipede’s introduction alone, but as it was, the young woman was still blissfully unconscious, and Yashiro thanked the heavens for small mercies.

_So **not** how I would want her to find out…_

Shaking himself, he took stock of the situation, noting that, although she was fully transformed now, Mistress Centipede was still keeping her distance, allowing him a few precious moments to assess his surroundings.

The industrial park was deserted, the broken-down buildings abandoned and void of all life, which was good news for him: so long as Kagome remained unconscious, he could go full out and crush this bug in a matter of minutes.

The insect’s wriggling body came dangerously close to smashing into the foundation of a nearby high-rise, and Yashiro cursed when he realized that he’d have a hard time reining in the centipede’s thrashing exoskeleton under these conditions, and the resulting collateral damage could potentially put Kagome’s life in danger.

As if it wasn’t in any danger, to begin with.

That aside, he’d have to find a way to lure Mistress Centipede away from the unconscious, defenseless girl, which, unfortunately, meant parting ways with his beloved weapon stuck in the trunk of their overturned car.

_Damn, and this would have been the perfect place to unleash the Backlash Wave…_

Lamenting his inability to wield Tetsusaiga _once again_ , Yashiro zeroed in on his quarry and stalked forward, always keeping an ear on Kagome to monitor her breathing and make sure she stayed put.

“Alright, you ugly bag of bones. You want to kill me so badly? Take your best shot!” he taunted, hoping that if he goaded her enough, she’d forget all about the young detective and chase after him instead.

His plan seemed to work; Mistress Centipede let out a deafening screech and lunged for him as he danced to the side, narrowly snagging him by his neck before he tucked, rolled, and took off in the opposite direction in a dead sprint.

She was hot on his heels, her massive body coiling behind her and crushing everything in its path. With an enraged shriek she lashed out a monstrous wave of jyaki, sending the building to Yashiro’s immediate right crumbling to the ground. He dodged the debris with ease, however, and continued on his path, drawing her further away from Kagome’s prone form and into the heart of the industrial park. 

She was big and scary, yes, but he was lithe and quick on his feet.

With a grunt, he hoisted himself over a capsized cargo van, using the momentary obstacle to cover his tracks as he suddenly changed course and made a sharp right, darting down a narrow pathway that ran between two buildings.

He hazarded a glance over his shoulder to see if she had fallen for the bait, then was immediately caught off guard when the ground was taken out from under him. 

He went flying through the air, thrown off his feet by a practiced swipe from Mistress Centipede’s writhing exoskeleton, and went crashing through several layers of brick before landing in an unceremonious heap at the center of a large, abandoned warehouse.

Yashiro groaned - _this bitch is smarter than she looks...faster, too_ \- and forced his protesting muscles into action, struggling into an upright position after several seconds of cracking his joints back into place.

He only had a brief moment to run through a set of scenarios - each one ending in him being crushed under the centipede’s gargantuan body in an cruel and ironic twist on bug-meet-foot - when Mistress Centipede came crashing through the side of the building looking incensed and hungry for blood.

_**I will not tolerate your foolishness any longer, foul mongrel. Submit to your fate, and die with a shred of dignity.** _

Yashiro rolled his eyes and crouched low, cracking his knuckles and sharpening his concealed claws on the concrete beneath him.

“Y’know, that would actually mean something to me if every single fucker I’ve ever fought hadn’t said it right before I tore out their heart.”

The creature howled at his indignance, and Yashiro smirked - if there was one thing he was undoubtedly good at, it was riling up an adversary to the point of recklessness. Sesshuo claimed it was a liability, but sometimes his taunts cut so deep that he was able to catch his enemy off guard.

Watching the incensed demon now, prowling and pacing a few meters away, he thought he had actually managed to land a blow to her pride, but just as it looked like she was about to topple over the edge of reason, a wave of terror passed over her features and she froze for a moment, hackles rising as if someone - or something - was threatening her in a voice so low, not even his sensitive hearing could pick it up.

Finally, Mistress Centipede straightened until her humanoid head was touching the ceiling, arthropodal body unfurling to its full height and dwarfing Yashiro with its massiveness.

_**Your arrogance is unbecoming of a dirty half-breed weakling. I will be doing the world a favor by ridding you from its surface.** _

All semblances of fear and anger were gone, replaced by a single-minded focus: ripping Yashiro’s head clean from his body.

He resisted the urge to gulp and instead shifted on all fours to prowl toward his prey, senses on high alert as the centipede took to circling him as well. A silent challenge was issued, one as old as time and bourne from instinct alone, and with a shrill howl Mistress Centipede attacked, diving headlong at him and impacting the ground with so much force that even his timely dodge didn’t save him completely.

He cursed luridly as rogue chunks of concrete rained down from above, cracking against his skull and making his retreat less graceful than anticipated.

In his moment of distraction, he miss-timed his next jump and ended up catching Mistress Centipede’s retaliatory tail swipe right in the gut, knocking him straight off his feet and sending him flying back into a precarious support beam several meters back. Before he hit the ground, he was caught mid-air by a roiling insect body and smacked back into the beam with enough force to jostle him a bit.

Yashiro groaned, his head lolling to one side as blood poured into his eyes from the reopened gash on his forehead. Mistress Centipede cackled and coiled her body tighter around him, the vaguely humanoid front of her hovering menacingly above him in a taunting fashion, teasing him with the vulnerable flesh of her belly that was just out of his reach.

_**Foolish mutt, taking on the likes of me by yourself, and all in a feeble effort to protect one pathetically weak human girl. Fear not: her death will be quick and painless.** _

The smile she flashed him was something straight out of a nightmare, her fangs elongating and glistening with venom.

_**The same, unfortunately, cannot be said for you.** _

With a sickening laugh, she descended, sharp teeth poised to tear into his neck. He was bound so tightly to the metal beam that he couldn’t even muster a half-hearted struggle, but his hands did twitch at his side, power simmering just under the surface of his claws, ready to rip into her flesh come hell or high water.

The moment never came, however. That is to say, Mistress Centipede stopped mere centimeters from his jugular, but it wasn’t because she sensed he was about to lash out. It wasn’t because she could feel his youki rushing to the surface to protect him.

They both paused as their sensitive hearing barely picked up the notching of an arrow and the _whoosh_ of its release, but they sure as hell both felt the rush of spiritual energy coming straight for the two of them in that instant.

Over Mistress Centipede’s shoulder, Yashiro saw the arrow rushing toward them, and it was only his instincts and lightning-quick reflexes that kept him from getting his head taken clean off as it just barely nicked the giant monster and embedded itself in the steel beam not two centimeters from his right cheek.

“ _Shit!_ ”

He should have been minutely grateful that he had just missed decapitation by a fraction of a second, but the colossal surge of reiki that produced from the arrow was enough to have his concealment spell peeling back almost forcefully, fangs, ears, and claws sprouting quickly as the glamour rippled around him.

The blast of spiritual energy wasn’t quite as powerful as last time, so he thankfully wasn’t purified this time around. He wasn’t sure if that was a good or bad thing in this instance; on the one hand, he had a better fighting chance with Mistress Centipede now that he wasn’t trapped behind his concealment. On the other hand, he was reminded by the sharp voice a woman not to be messed with: he was about to blow his cover with Kagome.

“Don’t move another muscle, or the next shot will take off your head!” Kagome shouted, and Yashiro glanced around Mistress Centipede’s stunned body to assess the young woman.

She looked a little frenzied, but her stance was strong, and her face was drawn into a concentrated frown as she sighted down another arrow. She must have shaken herself awake with enough time to fish her bow and quiver out from their totaled car and follow the wreckage to where Mistress Centipede now had him pinned. She had also pulled her hair out of her face, and the fierce look in her dark eyes jolted something akin to recognition down his spine.

That overwhelming feeling of deja vu was back with a vengeance - the nagging sense that tickled the back of his mind that he had witnessed this all with this same woman previously - but before he had the chance to question the sensation, Mistress Centipede tightened her grip on him while hissing harshly and turning to face Kagome.

_**Priestess girl...your blood swims with power...I must have it!** _

Hunger outweighing self-preservation, she attacked, diving for the young detective with enough force and speed to send Kagome flying once she made contact. _If_ she made contact. And with the way the human girl widened her stance and loosed her arrow, it didn’t look like the centipede demon stood a chance.

The projectile soared through the air before thunking squarely in the center of Mistress Centipede’s corporeal chest, taking the demon aback for a moment before igniting in a brilliant shower of pink fireworks.

The creature shrieked as her flesh sizzled, and Yashiro cursed luridly when her spasming limbs coiled tighter around his torso before throwing him unceremoniously to the ground in a shower of debris.

 _Fuck! There goes my shoulder_ , he thought bitterly as he heard a sickening pop upon impact. All things considered, though, he was counting himself lucky that he would be making it out of this whole shitshow in one piece. _Guess I have Miss Higurashi to thank for that…_

The young detective was currently watching in awe as the still screaming Mistress Centipede burst into flame, convulsing wildly before going deathly still and melting into piles of greasy ash. It was a much more violent death than that of Yura, but the result was largely the same.

 _I’ll have to ask Mr. Nishimura about that...I guess all demons just turn to dust when they die…_ Kagome thought absently with a shrug, not giving it a second thought as she lowered her bow and surveyed the scene more calmly now that there wasn’t a full 3 kilometers of nightmarish centipede demon vying for her attention.

Nearly every centimeter of the abandoned building was destroyed; it was a wonder the thing was still standing!

Eyes widening in astonishment, Kagome shook her head disbelievingly before a loud groan startled her out of her thoughts.

_Oh no, that’s right! Mr. Nishimura must be badly injured from his fight with that demon!_

Running to where she had seen the vague outline of the man fall while she had squared off against the centipede, she screeched to a halt when her eyes caught a shock of silver.

An unfamiliar form rose from his crater in the ground, shaking off loose dust and debris and popping joints back into place with a roll of his broad shoulders.

“Damn, I don’t think I’m ever gonna get rid of the ringing in my ears from that harpy’s shrieking…” the figure said as he shook his head vigorously before looking around at the motes of shimmering dust that signified Mistress Centipede’s remains.

Kagome started, recognizing the stranger’s voice almost instantly.

“M...Mr. Nishimura?”

Yashiro froze in his observation of the vaporized centipede demon.

_Oh shit…_

He turned to see Kagome staring at him, wide-eyed with a hand slapped over her mouth. Her other hand dropped limply to her side, her bow clattering to the ground as she took in his silver hair, amber eyes, and dog ears twitching atop his head.

“Mr. Nishimura...your…your hair...”

He winced and hazarded a step forward, noting with some sense of relief that she didn’t move away from him, just continued to stand glued to the spot in a shocked stupor.

“Detective Higurashi, I need you to remain calm.”

“C-calm! But you...you’re a…”

Yashiro took several more steps in her direction, holding out a hand in the hopes of steadying her.

Her hazel eyes widened when she noticed his fingers were each tipped with a sharp, deadly claw, and it seemed that her frail psyche had taken just about as much as it could handle that day.

Without another word or warning, Kagome’s brain shut down, and she fell forward, fainting on the spot.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Heavy exposition, an obligatory ear-fondling scene, and a little fluff, feat. Yashiro with a man bun

The first thing to come back was her sense of smell.

She was surrounded in a most welcoming scent of pine, spearmint, and worn leather. Decidedly masculine, and altogether, familiar.

_Mr. Nishimura…_

It took her a few tries, but eventually Kagome was able to open her eyes against the lulling drawl of unconsciousness. The light that greeted her waking vision, though harsh on her adjusting eyesight, was dim and warm, casting the room in a pleasant glow as she looked around to take in her new environment.

She was laying on a comfy - if worn - sofa in the living room of someone’s small apartment. From the leather jacket thrown haphazardly over the arm of the sofa and the riding boots lain unceremoniously at the entrance, she had a pretty good idea of _whose_ apartment.

“Oh good, you’re up,” a gruff voice called from a room off to the side, and an instant later Yashiro was standing before her wearing a fresh black T-shirt and dark jeans and holding a steaming cup of tea.

He looked good enough to eat, she thought absently in her freshly awakened state, with his feet bare and his black hair pulled back into a messy bun on top of his head.

_Black hair...on top of his head…_

Memories from before she passed out - memories of silver hair, claws, and dog ears - came rushing back to her with enough force to knock her off the couch, flailing wildly for something to slow her descent before a pair of strong arms wrapped around her and caught her before she smashed face-first into the hardwood floor.

“Christ, woman, don’t go braining yourself again!” Yashiro said sternly, the vibration of his command coursing through her where she was pressed against his chest.

She looked up at him, forcing back a blush at the close proximity, and narrowed her gaze to study his features. Black hair...violet eyes...regular fingernails...and a noticeable absence of dog ears atop his head. Just what was going on, here?

Yashiro stiffened under her focused scrutiny, knowing full well what she was looking for, then sighed and moved to place her on the sofa again. Taking a moment to appreciate how good she looked in one of his shirts, he shook himself and turned to walk toward the walk-in kitchen.

“You want some tea? It’s nothing spectacular, but it would probably help to calm your nerves.”

Kagome tracked his movements as he worked about the kitchen, not wanting to start anything with him, but also at her wit’s end with the secrets he had been keeping from her.

“Tea would be...nice.”

Yashiro grunted a response, then within a matter of a few short moments of preparation, he set a mug of hot, fragrant liquid on the coffee table in front of Kagome. He took to sitting cross-legged on the floor across from her, watching as she delicately drew the cup to her lips, blew on the steam, and took a sip before placing it back on the table.

“Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it.”

The two of them sat in silence after that, hazel eyes locked on the steam still rising from her mug in deep thought while twin pools of heliotrope jumped between the mug and the young woman, trying to parse from her facial expressions just what was going on in her head.

When he could finally take the silence no longer, Yashiro opened his mouth to speak.

“So, I…”

“You’re a demon,” Kagome cut in after taking a deep breath, effectively interrupting him and freezing him in place with her blunt statement.

“W-well, I…”

“I should’ve known, what with how quickly you bounced back from the injuries you received from both Suikotsu and Yura.”

“Miss Higurashi…”

“Plus there’s the way you just charge into battle. Even the bravest human wouldn’t pit himself against some of the enemies we’ve faced, no matter how reckless he may be.”

“Alright, now just hang on a second…”

“Not to mention some of the weird stuff that I _can’t_ explain. Like why everyone we’ve gone up against has called you...oh, what was it...half-breed? Mongrel. Or...oh yeah, mutt!” She snapped her fingers when she remembered, completely missing Yashiro’s wince. “I don’t know why I didn’t see it sooner! I thought they were just demeaning nicknames, but they must have some significance...why half-breed, though?”

“Kagome, _enough_!” Yashiro finally shouted, slamming a fist on the table with enough force to shake the mug of tea. Before it could topple over, he reached out with lightning-fast reflexes to catch it and set it to rights. Kagome watched, transfixed, but remained dutifully silent as he took a few calming breaths.

Finally, he looked back up at her, and she was stricken with how serious he looked in that moment.

“I...wanted to tell you…” he began lamely, then cursed under his breath and tried again.

“That is to say, I didn’t want to keep this a secret from you for this long. Like you said, for us to be able to work together, for you to be able to trust me, I should have been honest with you.”

He took a sharp intake of breath and glanced up at her to gauge her reaction, but her expression was unreadable. She simply sat waiting for him to continue, so he pushed on despite his sudden anxiousness.

“But you need to understand: I gained your initial trust as a _human_. I didn’t want to drop this bomb on you until you had time to process it, and with the amount of attacks aimed at us in the past 24 hours, there hadn’t felt like a right time to tell you…”

Yashiro huffed his bangs out of his face and rubbed the back of his neck absently.

“You had only just learned about the existence of demons...I didn’t want to throw anything else at you until you were ready.”

With a sigh, he rose onto his knees and pressed his palms into the coffee table, leaning forward to touch his forehead to his knuckles in a pleading gesture.

“I only wanted to protect you, at least for a little bit while you got used to the notion of demons walking among us, before dropping on you that I am one of those demons. I am sorry for breaking your trust and omitting the truth, but I promise it was only with the best of intentions.”

Silence hung heavily between them as he remained in his bent position, not wanting to break from his bow but also not brave enough to raise his head and look her in the face. He wasn’t sure what he would find if he gazed into her expressive eyes, and he was too chicken to risk facing her if she was truly mad at him.

Finally, he felt a small hand on his shoulder, urging him to lift his head to look at her once more.

“I...understand.”

Those two words, so softly spoken that if he didn’t have sensitive hearing he surely wouldn’t have caught them, nearly knocked him on his ass, but what actually did have him openly gaping like a fish out of water was the small smile she bestowed him along with her next words.

“I can see why you thought it would be a good idea to wait to tell me. It’s big enough learning that demons exist and aren’t just fairy tales told to children, but to be told in the same breath that a man I entrusted with my life is one of those fairy tales...well, I understand why you felt you had to wait to tell me. I mean, I honestly didn’t make a good case for myself when I fainted back there…”

She blushed sheepishly, and he noticed with a fair amount of relief that she did not remove her hand from his shoulder. In fact, as she spoke, she moved to kneel across from him, nothing but the coffee table between them, and her hand traced a path from his shoulder to his neck, before cupping his cheek while she looked him over again.

“You did startle me a bit, but I promise that it had nothing to do with you being a demon and everything to do with you having silver hair and gold eyes! My goodness, I thought you were a stranger at first! I think the new look superimposed over what I originally knew you to look like just came as a bit of a shock to me.”

He smirked at that, and her eyes were drawn to his mouth.

“Why do you...er, that is to say...how do you look…”

“How do I look human when I’m obviously not?” he finished for her, and she bit her lip and nodded.

Yashiro grunted and moved to tap the necklace hanging just inside the V of his shirt.

“Magatama,” he said, and she was brought back to the night the two of them had met at _Shikon_ , when she had first noticed the jade beads strung together on a chain around his neck.

_Come to think of it, every time I’ve seen him since he’s been wearing that necklace…_

She moved her hand from his cheek to inspect the necklace further, glancing up at him to silently ask his permission to proceed. With his nod of approval, she reached out and traced the fang in the center with the tips of her fingers, completely oblivious to the shudder that ran down Yashiro’s spine in response.

“It’s the charm that holds my concealment in place. Most demons have one; it’s how those of us with other-wordly appearances manage to blend in with the rest of the population. They can be anything - a necklace, a watch, even something as inconspicuous as a pinkie ring. You didn’t see it, but Mistress Centipede kept her true form concealed through an anchor in a bracelet on her wrist.”

Kagome listened avidly to his explanation, turning the necklace this way and that until she was satisfied with her inspection.

“So everything is still there...the claws, the fangs, the ears...but they’re just concealed using...what, magic?”

The corner of his mouth twitched into a smirk as - without quite realizing it - she reached out to inspect his hands, running her fingers over his nails and testing the tips of his concealed claws with barely-restrained wonder.

“Something like that. Spells and incantations were less far-fetched back in the day, and they are widely used amongst the demon population to preserve our way of life.”

Kagome nodded and made an affirmative noise in the back of her throat, shifting her attention from his hands to his eyes, then further up to rest at the top of his head. She bit her lip and fidgeted distractedly, her own head cocking to the side as she pondered his black hair studiously.

Yashiro watched her work up the courage to say something, though he had a vague idea of what she wanted to ask him based on her scent and her thoughtful expression as she continued to dart her eyes between his face and the top of his head.

_Silly human wenches...what is it with them and their fascination with my ears?_

“Would you like to see?” he said at the same time she asked, “Could you drop your concealment?”

They both laughed softly, and Yashiro pulled his hands away from her to work on the clasp at the nape of his neck. It was a trickier task now that his fingers were refusing to cooperate, his hands trembling just slightly with excess nerves.

He couldn’t help but be a bit anxious; sure, she had taken everything in stride thus far, and yeah, she had said she had just been shocked by his drastic change in appearance, but she had still _fainted_ when she first saw his true form.

Plus, years of prejudice against his kind was hard to just forget, and though she didn’t seem the type, he was just waiting for this young woman to scream and run when she saw what he truly looked like.

He finally was able to unhatch his necklace, and the magatama fell into his lap with a dull thud. There was a crackle of power, then his disguise melted away to reveal silver hair, claws, fangs, and the most intense pair of cognac-hued eyes she had ever seen.

“Oh my…” she murmured, the mere sight of him taking her breath away.

It was still Yashiro, all six foot-something of long, lean muscle, tanned-to-perfection skin and full, pouty mouth, but there was an edge to him now. Not only did select parts of his outward appearance change; the very aura surrounding him seemed to change, as well. And _gods_ , was it ever in a good way.

“You’re beautiful,” Kagome finally blurted, then blushed a pretty shade of pink and slapped a hand over her mouth in embarrassment.

Yashiro ignored the faint dusting of pink on his own cheeks in favor of smirking and chuckling.

“Not gonna faint on me again, are ya?” he teased, and she noted with a pleasant flutter in her tummy that the quality of his voice changed with his transformation as well. It was minute, but his tone was gruffer, if that was even possible, and there was a rough edge to his words that had her palms sweating and her knees trembling slightly.

She could see how this appearance would scare some people. Everything about him now was intense, from the tips of his silver-coated ears, to his sharp amber eyes, all the way down to the claws on his toes. His large hands - already intimidating in and of themselves - now adorned deadly talons that looked like they could slice through her skin as if it were tissue paper, and when he opened his mouth, he spoke around a set of razor-sharp fangs that could tear into her neck on a whim.

Somehow, though, she was not afraid. The trust she had built with this man within only a day of knowing him helped abate any fear she may have held over his much more dangerous physique. Even past that, she felt she wouldn’t fear him even if she hadn’t been through as much as she had with him in the past 24 hours. The look in his eyes was one of wariness, but there was an underlying gentleness in the way he gazed at her that would make anyone think twice about calling him a ferocious beast.

The transformation was fascinating to her, and she had to admit: she _definitely_ liked what she saw.

Her blush returned full force at the direction her mind had taken, and his responding smirk introduced a sharp incisor that had her breath catching in her throat.

Movement atop his head derailed her train of thought, and she glanced up to watch in rapt interest as the dog ears perched on his head swiveled in response to her quick intake of breath.

Kagome bit her lip again as her attention was drawn to the two furry little triangles, and Yashiro had to tamp down the urge to lean over and replace her teeth with his own.

Hell, but he hadn’t been expecting _this_ well of a response to his true form. The second he dropped his concealment her arousal smacked him square in the face. That had been a shock, but her fascination with his appearance was what stayed him from saying anything as she perused his form.

Not a hint of fear made its way into her scent - not even when she noticed his claws or fangs. If anything, she became even more intrigued, and the sharp tang of her arousal wound tighter around him when she observed his fang-filled smirk.

_The girl’s a bit of a freak, but I can’t say I’m complaining if she’s reacting this well to coming face-to-face with a half-demon._

Yashiro knew from the moment he first met her that this woman was different, and he had to say that he was grateful for her caring, accepting nature as her gaze traveled from his fangs, to his eyes, on upward.

He chuckled inwardly in amusement and shook his head slightly in astonishment, then quirked his brow when her attention was drawn to his ears.

He was about to roll his eyes and change the subject when she replaced her teeth with her tongue, absently licking her bottom lip as she focused on the way his ears twitched at every minute sound, tracking things she couldn’t even hope to hear with her weak human senses.

Good gods, but if she continued to worry her lip like that, he wouldn’t be held accountable for his actions. Actions which would include jumping across the table, pulling that pouty lip into his mouth, and tasting her cherry chapstick.

Growling deep within his chest, he shook himself and inclined his head in her direction.

“Go on, silly wench. I know you want to touch them.”

She blinked owlishly at him before reaching hesitantly toward his tilted head.

“Are...are you sure?”

_Anything to keep you from biting your lip like that again._

“Yeah, yeah, you’re not the first human woman to gawk over ‘em. I don’t mind.”

Hell of a lie, but he found he minded less that she of all people wanted to touch his ears. He often didn’t like it when people groped them - and _yes_ , he used that harsh term, because a lot of the time they forgot that his ears were _attached_ to him - but he wasn’t that surprised when Kagome softly cupped his left ear that his entire body relaxed into her warm, gentle caresses.

“They’re so soft...do all demons have such cute ears?”

“They ain’t cute!” he snapped, but there was no bite to his words. As it was, his eyelids were at half mast, a deep growl vibrating deep in his chest in response to the way she softly ran her fingers from base to tip, rubbing very lightly in a gentle massage.

Her scent surrounded him, so much more pungent in such a confined space, and her soft giggle at the way he pressed his ears further into her hands had a small smile curling up the corners of his mouth.

“And…” he continued after a few more moments of pleasant silence, “I only have these ears because...well, I’m not exactly a _full_ demon…”

That brought Kagome pause for a brief second, but she quickly resumed petting his ears. “What exactly is that supposed to mean? What else would you be, if not a full demon?”

“Well...a half-demon…”

He didn’t know what he was expecting. He wasn’t sure how she would react to this new development, but he figured she had surpassed his expectations thus far - he might as well dive in head first.

Kagome didn’t even blink, didn’t even pause, just continued to softly fondle his ears.

“A half-demon, huh? What’s the other half?”

His eyes widened, and he nearly gawked openly at her nonchalance before catching himself and shaking her hands away from his head. Her scent was bad enough, but the way she was caressing him was _damn_ distracting.

“Before I go into that, I should probably tell you what kind of demon I am, if you couldn’t already guess.”

Kagome, resisting the urge to pout at the loss of contact, blinked up at him, noting his sharp fangs, claws, and the cute, triangular ears on his head.

Tapping her index finger against her bottom lip, she hazarded a guess.

“Oh! Are you some kind of...cat demon?”

She had never seen a person’s face go pale so quickly.

“A...cat? Are you...what the f- a damn _cat?!_ Do I look like a stuck-up, good-for-nothing, flea-ridden _sack of sin wrapped in pure evil_ -”

“Ah...a dog, then? That makes more sense, and it jives with those horrible names everyone has been calling you.”

The sly smile tugging at the corners of her mouth told him she had been messing with him before, and the absolutely flabbergasted expression on his face melted into an equally mischievous smirk.

“Pretty shifty, Higurashi, getting me all worked up like that.”

She smiled and blushed cutely, having the decency to look sheepish, then shook her head and quirked a brow at him.

“Your other half?”

“Oh. Right. Well, I’m half inu-youkai, and the other half is...human.”

Kagome blinked, then quirked a brow expectantly at the hesitant way he was looking at her after dropping that news.

“Why are you looking at me like I’m going to jump out the window? So what if you’re half human? That just means you and I have more in common than if you were a full inu-youkai...right?”

She smiled softly at him, then reached across the table to place a gentle hand on his wrist.

“I don’t care that you’re half-demon - in fact, I think I like you better this way. Now there aren’t any secrets standing between us, and you can be your true self with me now without feeling like you have to hide anything!”

Yashiro was floored; he legitimately almost fell to the ground at that last statement, watching with wide eyes as Kagome’s smile grew before she patted his wrist a final time and sat back to observe him with a critical eye.

“So...half dog demon...what does that mean, exactly? Like, do you have the inescapable urge to chase after mail carriers or something?”

_That_ certainly snapped him out of his stupor, and he actually laughed out loud at her genuine question. A light flush rose to Kagome’s cheeks, and not only out of embarrassment at feeling as though she had just asked a very stupid question: Yashiro had such a nice laugh, and the genuine smile on his face had butterflies manifesting in her stomach.

He almost looked relieved when his laughter died down to a deep chuckle in the back of his throat, and he sounded amused when he said, “No, although I’ve been tempted with the cocky asshole that drops mine off. But that’s just because he’s a jerk.”

Shaking his head, he rubbed his chin for a moment in thought before seriously answering her question.

“Most demons, as I’m sure you’ve already realized, have supernatural abilities. Aside from the exterior traits like fangs and claws, we heal a lot quicker than the average person, and our metabolisms work a lot faster.”

Kagome nodded and crossed her arms over her chest, absorbing his explanation while at the same time marking off a mental checklist in her head.

_The reason Yashiro survived being stabbed through the chest by Suikotsu? Half-demon healing abilities. Check._

“On top of that, different types of demons possess different types of traits as well, not unlike humans. Dog demons, in particular, are faster than most, and we have more powerful senses of smell, hearing, and eyesight. Nekos trump us with night vision, though.”

_The reason for Yashiro’s lightning-quick reflexes in battle? Half-demon super-senses. Check._

“Since my father was one of the most powerful demons overall back in the day, I’m also a lot stronger than most half-demons; although Sess is way stronger than any other demon I know, since he’s a full inu-youkai.”

_The reason Yashiro was able to face off against the much larger Mistress Centipede without an ounce of fear? Half-demon strength. Check..._

_Whoa, hold up._

“How is your brother a full demon if you’re only half?” Kagome asked, catching the last thing Yashiro said as an afterthought and running with it.

She hadn’t even considered that if Yashiro was a demon, then obviously Sesshuo would be one as well, though of course in hindsight it made sense. The fact that the two were not the same class of demon, however, brought her pause.

Yashiro blinked at her interruption, as if he hadn’t even thought about the absurdity of such a thing, then shook his head and smirked.

“Sesshuo is only my half-brother, Miss Higurashi, though we don’t much split hairs over semantics anymore. Not like we used to, anyway.”

As if lost in thought, Yashiro looked off into the distance, and Kagome waited patiently for him to come back to the present before asking her next question.

“So if the two of you are only half-related, and you said yourself your father was the demon half - a powerful demon, at that - then your mother was human?” That actually explained a lot more than before.

Yashiro, though a little rough around the edges, was a lot kinder and more compassionate than his brother, and Kagome was willing to bet that that trait had been inherited from his more human side. Having a human _mother_ also made a lot of sense, as well; there was a soft, caring quality to Yashiro that Kagome was sure he would deny in a heartbeat, but it was something that was nurtured from a mother’s love.

While she wouldn’t describe Sesshuo as a bad guy, he definitely held an air of uncaring, stoic superiority that simply couldn’t be obtained from having a human parent, _especially_ a human mother.

Yashiro nodded, tapping his nose with his index finger to indicate her assumption was spot-on.

“My mother was human, which means that I’m not quite as powerful as a full demon, but since my father was a daiyoukai, I still have a fighting chance against most full demons.”

He chuckled, and his gaze became distant again.

“You should have seen me and Sess back in the day...he absolutely despised the fact that human blood ran through my veins.

“Ya see, back then hanyou got a pretty bad wrap. We're not fully human _or_ fully demon, so we don't really belong anywhere, and there were a lot of beings on both sides that considered us freaks of nature because of it. ‘No self-respecting demon would lower himself to spilling his seed inside a weak, worthless mortal,’ my brother had always said before trying to wipe my existence from the history books.”

Kagome gasped, but Yashiro simply shook his head and chuckled, eyes alight with humor.

“Ancient history, Miss Higurashi. Back then, Sess was all high and mighty about the pure power of a daiyoukai, so he hated the fact that my father would sully the bloodline by bedding a human, but since he couldn’t take it out on the old man, he settled for beating me into a bloody pulp every chance he could get!”

“Why couldn’t he take it out on your father? And you keep saying ‘back then’ and ‘back in the day’...just how old _are_ you, Mr. Nishimura?”

Kagome hoped she wasn’t overstepping her boundaries, but since he seemed to be in a sharing mood, she wanted to take full advantage to satisfy all of her curiosities.

Yashiro winced; shame on him for forgetting how astute this woman was. She was avidly paying attention to everything he was saying, the detective in her questioning every new development. Even something as innocuous as a few ‘back in the days’ was suspicious to her, and in true form, she pounced the second her curiosity piqued.

He just hoped that she continued to take everything in stride as they dove deeper into his life.

“Our father died when I was just a baby, Detective, protecting me and my human mother. Another slight against me in Sesshuo’s eyes back then; he wanted to be the one to kill Father, to prove that he was without a doubt the strongest youkai to walk the Western Lands.”

“I'm so sorry, Mr. Nishimura...I didn't mean to-”

He halted her apology with a raised palm, shaking his head and quirking a small smile at her.

“Once again, it's ancient history. Ya see, Miss Higurashi, we’re not...that is to say, Sess and I are a lot…”

Growling softly under his breath, he rubbed the back of his neck pensively for a moment to collect his thoughts before deciding to just out with it.

“I'm over seven hundred years old.”

Kagome’s mouth dropped open comically, eyes blowing wide at this newest bit of shocking information.

“Oh my gosh!”

*~*~*~*~*~*

Sesshuo eyed the apartment building before him warily. Why his brother insisted on living in such a hovel instead of one of the far nicer suites in the Western Mansion was beyond him.

Heaving out a tired sigh, he entered the building, hardly giving a second glance to the too-nice receptionist before bypassing the rickety elevators and taking the stairs two at a time to the fourth floor.

Today had been 31 different flavors of disaster. First he had to expose the demon world to a human detective - at _Kaede’s_ precinct, no less. Nothing against the old woman; she just always made Sesshuo’s job more difficult than it needed to be.

Then, Yura of the Hair had to make an appearance and nearly kill his idiot brother. The clean up after that disaster was not a pleasant one; he always used to relish in the scent of Yashiro’s blood, but now he found he didn't much care for it. Not that he'd ever tell the whelp that himself.

After Kyokotsu sprang Suikotsu, Sesshuo didn't think this day could get much worse. At least the mangy wolf was able to capture the giant before both Band of Seven members could escape, but that was only a minor consolation prize. Finding out that Naraku might be behind the sudden boom in the gang’s activity was not a pleasant discovery, and it took his day from bad to worse the instant Yashiro had broken the news to him.

He hadn't wanted to drag Kagura into this - his mate was in her third trimester and needed rest, and dredging up her less-than-glamorous past was not ideal - but he was up to his neck in paperwork because of the latest incidents that took place at the YTF headquarters, and he couldn't very well give as good a firsthand account of how terrible the bastard was as Kagura could.

He had been over the Naraku case with a fine-toothed comb after his disappearance, but perhaps Miss Higurashi - coming into all of this with fresh eyes - would be able to find something he had missed all these years.

_Then, of course, there's the matter of the mess Yashiro left behind in the abandoned industrial park…_

Buildings had been collapsed, blood was everywhere, the unrecognizable ashes of some foolish being were scattered across the ground, and one of the task force’s nicest cars had been destroyed beyond recognition. Yashiro and Kagome were nowhere to be found, but the detective’s bow and quiver were missing, and his brother’s Tetsusaiga was noticeably absent, so while CSU was busy sweeping the site, Sesshuo followed a hunch and tracked the faint scent trail to Yashiro’s apartment.

How he longed for the old days, back when he could beat the ever-loving shit out of his younger brother for being a half-witted dolt without getting weird looks for it. The two of them used to spar for hours out in the fields of Musashi, swords and fists flying gracefully in the late afternoon sun. That was, of course, before they were forced into hiding by the spiritualists, so he’d have to settle for a verbal sparring match for now until he could get his hands on the whelp back at the secluded Western Mansion.

Stopping at the entry door to Yashiro’s apartment, Sesshuo fished out the spare key his brother had given him - _for emergencies_ , he snorted mentally - he was just about to unlock the door when he heard a feminine gasp followed by, “Oh my gosh!”

Instincts flared - that was Miss Higurashi, and she sounded distressed - and without preamble Sesshuo unlocked the door and stormed into the room, russet eyes flashing yellow as he scanned the room for a potential threat. The scene that greeted him had his eyes rolling and his posture relaxing (only slightly) before he quickly kicked the door shut behind him and toed off his loafers in the foyer.

“Unbelievable. You truly are incompetent, little brother. You couldn't even keep your identity a secret for a mere day?”

His tone was cold and reprimanding, but it lacked a significant amount of harshness as he moved into the room to survey the scene with a more critical eye.

Yashiro scoffed indignantly and shoved his way to standing, crossing his arms over his chest and nailing Sesshuo with a petulant glare.

“It was _your_ dumb idea to keep her in the dark about it until the ‘right time,’ whenever the hell _that_ was supposed to be. This whole thing would've been easier if I could've just told her straight up in the beginning.”

“You know my reasoning, and you agreed with me. Do not blame me for your ineptitude.”

“ _Ineptitude?!_ Excuse me, Your Uppity Highness, but we knew we were playing with fire by trying to keep this a secret from her in the first place! With how close we've been working together, it's a wonder she didn't find out sooner!”

It was at that moment that Kagome cleared her throat softly, then almost flinched as two pairs of intense eyes turned to look at her.

“While I appreciate the concern, all I'm grateful for now is that there aren't anymore secrets hanging between us,” she said after taking a second to collect herself.

The two men stared at her for a moment more, then glanced at each other before both their postures relaxed and Yashiro moved to sit next to Kagome against the couch, offering the other side of the coffee table to Sesshuo. He glanced warily at the spot before shirking off his jacket, placing it on the floor, and primly sitting atop it. 

Yashiro rolled his eyes at the theatrical disdain in his brother’s movements and huffed out an irritated sigh through his nose.

“I assume you're here about the industrial park?”

Sesshuo inclined his head ever so slightly, eyebrows raising as if to say, “Out with it.”

“We were on our way back from the Western Mansion when a demon by the name of Mistress Centipede ran us off the road and sent us crashing through the gates. I was able to keep her at bay until Detective Higurashi was in a good enough position to take the finishing shot.”

It was a highly abbreviated version of what happened, but it seemed Sesshuo could fill in the blanks himself, including Yashiro’s inability to use Tetsusaiga and the woman’s still-unknown purifying abilities vaporizing the demon on the spot.

Kagome didn't seem very curious about that last part, though Sesshuo was astute enough to understand that she probably didn't even understand how spiritual energy worked against a demon, and a speaking glance passed between the two brothers at the thought that they had yet another difficult conversation ahead of them in the near future.

That conversation would have to wait, though, as there were more pressing matters that required their attention at the moment.

“Did the creature say who sent her after you?” Sesshuo asked, knowing full well that a mindless feeding machine like Mistress Centipede had to have been summoned for an explicit reason by a far more powerful being.

Yashiro shook his head and unconsciously shifted his shoulder where the demon had sunk her fangs into him.

“No, she was too focused on making us her next meal to give us any helpful information. I'm willing to bet, though, that the Band of Seven is behind this.”

It was Sesshuo’s turn to shake his head in the negative.

“Impossible. Even if they are stronger with Shard coursing through their veins, they are all still very much human. Mere mortals cannot break the powerful seal used to lock away demons like Mistress Centipede.”

“There is another option,” Kagome spoke up, and the brothers once again turned to look at her. She resisted the urge to huff irately - she was starting to get sick of people forgetting she was in the room!

Shaking herself, she turned to face Yashiro. “Remember what Kagura said? Naraku wasn't fully human, to her recollection. If the Band of Seven is in bed with him, then maybe he was the one who sent Mistress Centipede after us?”

Yashiro’s eyebrows raised, impressed with the girl for her intuitive observation, then they both turned to look at Sesshuo, who was nodding pensively.

“It is a possibility...but I do not want to jump into action based on mere speculation.”

A silent moment passed over the three of them before Kagome snapped her fingers and made an ‘aha!’ sound in the back of her throat.

“We should check Kyokotsu’s back, then! For the mark of the The Web; Kagura also said that anyone working for Naraku would have a brand on their back of a spider.”

Silence hung heavily after that revelation, everyone letting that information sink in for a moment before Sesshuo finally nodded his receipt and pushed himself to his feet.

“Very well. I have my next course of action, now here is yours: you are to keep close tabs on Bankotsu to try and discover his next move. If Naraku is truly the one pulling the strings, then the leader of the Band of Seven is no more than a pawn in a grander scheme.”

Yashiro groaned and followed after his brother to the kitchen.

“I knew you weren't just here for a report on what happened in the industrial park. What do you want, Sess?”

Kagome watched as the two brothers moved about the kitchen, Sesshuo sniffing at different items of interest - the tea in the pot, a random bag of chips, an empty glass from the cupboard, before filling it with tap water and sipping delicately - and Yashiro griping and snatching everything his brother picked up out of his hands.

_It's hard to believe what Mr. Nishimura said, about his brother trying to kill him all those years ago._

Sure, they fought an awful lot, but no more than most brothers, and it was fairly obvious that even through all the bickering and name-calling the two shared a healthy amount of familial compassion for one another. As she watched the two brothers - one silver-haired with amber eyes while the other maintained his brunette, brown-eyed appearance - Kagome just couldn’t picture actual pure hatred passing between them. 

A lot of time must have passed since those days, which piqued Kagome’s interest as she stood and made her way to the counter that separated the living room from the kitchen, tea in hand.

“Mr. Nishimura?” she prodded, then nearly squeaked as the brothers almost instantly quit their squabbling to look at her. “Oh! Um...perhaps Captain Nishimura would be a better form of address...or Sir…?”

The two men shared a brief glance before Sesshuo put down his glass and turned to address Kagome fully.

“Just Captain is fine. What is it, Miss Higurashi?”

Confidence waning at his intense gaze, she looked down at the half-drunk tea in her mug and fiddled with the handle distractedly.

“Captain Nishimura, if it's not too much trouble...could you perhaps drop your concealment for me?”

He quirked a fine brow at her, then darted a sharp glance at Yashiro, who simply shrugged and crossed his arms over his chest, leaning nonchalantly against the fridge and watching the scene play out.

Assessing the situation, Sesshuo finally decided there was no harm in showing her, considering the young woman already knew what his brother looked like, and the differences in their appearances, though minute, would give her a good idea what a full inu-youkai looked like.

Looking back at Kagome, he lifted his left hand and slowly removed the gold wedding band from his ring finger. As before, the magic rippled around him as his concealment spell peeled back to reveal silver hair, yellow eyes, and strange facial markings that were strikingly beautiful against the backdrop of his fair skin.

Kagome gasped at his ethereal beauty. The family resemblance between the two brothers was even more uncanny now as they both looked at her with twin sets of golden eyes. Her own eyes glanced up at the top of his head, and she bit back a disappointed pout when she didn't discover cute puppy ears. Both brothers caught the change in her scent, though, and while Sesshuo was slightly perturbed and a little appalled at the thought that she was upset he didn't have ears like his brother’s, Yashiro almost barked out a laugh at the thought.

Not being able to stifle an amused chuckle, Yashiro drew Kagome’s attention by tapping one of the twitching ears atop his head.

“Hanyou, remember? As a full demon, Sess doesn't have the ears.”

Sesshuo was far less amused, and with a noncommittal grunt he reactivated his concealment spell, ring back in place as the glamour covered his otherworldly features once more. A sharp look in Yashiro’s direction had the younger brother sighing and walking over to the coffee table to grab his magatama.

“You never answered me, Sess; what are you doing here, if not only to ask about the incident with Mistress Centipede?” he asked as he clasped the chain back around his neck, and Kagome watched in morbid fascination as his concealment spell crackled back into place. She tried not to be disappointed at the loss of his pretty silver hair and ears, and reacquainted herself with his human facade.

_Still looks good enough to eat, she mused absently before shaking herself and turning to give Sesshuo a curious look._

As he set about grabbing his jacket and sliding back into his shoes, the older man said, “There is a gala tomorrow night at the Ritz in Midtown. I have it on good authority that Bankotsu is rumored to make an appearance. Your orders are to attend the event undercover and keep tabs on him.”

Ignoring Yashiro’s sudden (predictable) protests, he turned his attention to Kagome, who was looking at him with interest.

“See if you can dig up anything on him from his cohorts - if he has been acting strangely recently, any particularly violent mood swings, anything that would indicate a change in routine. Track his activity, and if anything seems suspicious, you have my permission to act accordingly.”

He leveled her with a serious look, all-business and hard edges, but Kagome could see a flicker of something behind it. She couldn’t be sure, but she thought she saw a flash of trust and comradery spark to life in his cold eyes; it was gone in an instant, though, as Yashiro elbowed his way into the conversation.

“This is crazy, Sesshuo! I don’t do undercover cases; that’s not my forte.”

“Very true. You’re about as subtle as a train wreck; however, Detective Higurashi specializes in undercover work. Isn’t that right, Detective?”

Kagome straightened slightly under his suddenly intense gaze and nodded jerkily.

“Oh, um, yessir! Most of my cases have been undercover operations. It's...how I met Mr. Nishimura…” and she nodded in Yashiro’s direction, who frowned through the faint pink tinting his cheeks at the memory of their first meeting.

“And we all know how well that went. Besides, the Band of Seven know my face, and I'm willing to bet they'd recognize Kagome, too. There's no way we'd be able to get by unnoticed.”

Sesshuo stopped at the door, looking thoughtful for a moment before turning and bestowing a small - and, if Kagome was being completely honest - utterly _terrifying_ smile upon the two of them.

“A fair point, little brother, but did I not mention? The gala is masquerade-themed. PR will send your outfits for the evening to the Western Mansion. I expect your appearance no later than 7 o’clock.”

And with that, he turned and exited the apartment, leaving Kagome and Yashiro to contemplate his final statement in a stunned silence.

Finally, Kagome cleared her throat and turned to face Yashiro, whose face had taken on a comical shade of red as he bristled at his brother’s words.

“So...I guess we have our next assignment. What do we do in the meantime?”

Yashiro shook himself and - after taking a moment to get his temper under control (fucking Sesshuo always had a knack for pressing every single one of his buttons without even trying) - addressed Kagome in a much calmer manner.

“Well, first we try and stay alive until tomorrow night by laying low. I don't know about you, but I'm pretty sick of fighting for my life every time I step outside.”

Kagome chuckled and nodded, moving from her spot at the counter to the couch.

“You'll probably want to stop by your precinct to catch Kaede up on everything that's happened so far. I've got a few loose ends to tie up and about 300 pages of paperwork to get through, so we’ll catch up sometime later tomorrow.”

He didn't miss the way her shoulders dropped a bit, and shook his head at her as he moved to lean against the arm of the couch next to where she was sitting.

“We've been practically inseparable for the past 24 hours. I’d think you'd be itching to get away from me for a little while,” he couldn't help but tease, and she shot him a look that would have brought a lesser being to its knees.

“It’s not that!”

_Liar_ , her subconscious whispered.

“I'm just wondering how I'm going to break everything to my partner. If you can believe it, she's even more inquisitive than I am! I have to start coming up with a good cover story…”

_Perhaps I should ask the king of cover stories for help_ , she pondered as she eyed Yashiro thoughtfully, but ultimately decided against it.

Instead, she reached out and placed a gentle hand on his knee, much the way he had when she first learned about demon’s existence and he was trying to calm her down.

“I promise, I won’t tell anyone about what I discovered today.” She paused to let that sink in, then said, “I know how difficult it must have been to tell me, and I want you to know that I won't take the responsibility of knowing your true form lightly.”

She waited for him to process that information before smiling and shifting to sit back against the couch again.

“I'll think of something to tell Sango tomorrow, but you don't have to worry about me spilling the beans. Your secret is safe with me.”

“Thank you,” he said, and he meant it.

The two of them lapsed into a comfortable silence before Kagome sat up and looked down at her shirt, inspecting it as if it had some inexplicable stain on it.

“Hey...Mr. Nishimura...I have one more question for you.”

“Just one?”

She laughed at that and shook her head, pinching the fabric of her shirt and raising a curious brow at him.

“Just one more for now...answer me this: if I passed out in my own t-shirt and suddenly woke up wearing this one...that looks an awful lot like one of yours...who stripped me down to do the honors?”

Yashiro immediately paled, his entire body stiffening at being caught in the act. He had hesitated briefly when he brought her back to his apartment, not sure if she would like waking up in her own sweaty, blood-covered shirt; he’d feel bad changing into clean clothes while she sat stewing in her own dirty ones.

He hadn’t lingered on any one body part, simply kept his mind focused on the task and his gaze resolutely off her exposed, porcelain skin, but the sly look in her eyes now told him she wouldn’t buy any of his claims of chivalry at the moment.

Gulping, he thought, and not for the first time: _This woman will be the death of me._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No cliffhanger this time! Figured I should end this chapter on a lighter note. I'm really excited about the next couple of chapters I have lined up, so please let me know how you guys are feeling with everything so far. I really do appreciate your reviews, so so much.
> 
> Until next time!
> 
> Ciao, lovelies,
> 
> Your Mistress


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An apology from the author, some fan service, and more plot progression!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My Dearest Readers,
> 
> I would first like to say that I honest to goodness appreciate your unending support for this story. I have not forgotten about it! It's still on my mind, and I am still very much plugging away, but much slower than before. Not to divulge too much about my personal life, but things have gotten crazy, and my chances to sit down and work have dwindled. Updates may not come as frequently as they used to, but I am going to try my hardest to keep things going as smoothly as possible after my months-long hiatus. Bear with me, and I promise together we will eventually see the end of this thing!
> 
> That said, I would also like to take a moment to thank everyone for the wonderfully encouraging reviews! Knowing you all are enjoying reading this story as much as I enjoy writing it really keeps me going most days. I hope you enjoy this next installment, kittens!
> 
> Ciao,
> 
> Your Mistress

Sesshuo finally pocketed his cell with a tired sigh as he pulled through the gates of the Western Mansion.

The entire trip between his brother’s apartment and his home had been spent on the phone with different subordinates at the YTF headquarters, checking in to make sure Kyokotsu wasn’t going anywhere, and giving express orders that no one was to enter his cell until he could check for the mark of the spider himself tomorrow morning.

Usually, with such pressing matters to attend, he would have driven straight from Yashiro’s back to the office to pull an all-nighter, but he hadn’t been home in a while, and his mate was beginning to get irritated over it.

_“You either come home and spend time with your mate, your pup, and your unborn pup tonight, or so help me, Sesshuo, I will throw you in the dog house **myself**!”_

He quirked a small smile at the memory of her heated words, spoken harshly to his voicemail when he had missed one too many of her previous calls. Kagura was the only one that ever got away with raising her voice at him; even Yashiro would have suffered major consequences if he had ever spoken to him like _that_.

This pregnancy had not been easy on her, and while she knew what she had been getting into when she agreed to be his all those years ago, he wasn’t so self-centered anymore to realize that his long hours with the YTF were affecting her, especially at this her most vulnerable time.

Nodding stoically toward the two guards standing watch outside, he took the steps two at a time and walked through the threshold right as the grandfather clock chimed 10 o’clock.

His son, concealment spell dropped, was halfway up the grand staircase when his finely tuned senses alerted him to his father’s arrival, and he turned sleepy amber eyes on Sesshuo as the older man disposed of his jacket and shoes in the foyer.

“Welcome home, Father. I wasn’t expecting you here tonight, especially after all of the commotion from earlier,” Akihiko said, referring to the jailbreak and attack from Mistress Centipede. It seemed his eldest was keeping tabs on him, as always - a trait he picked up from his mother, no doubt.

_Nosy wench…_ he thought absently as he grunted noncommittally and caught up to his son on the stairs.

“Mother sent most of the staff home early today, but per Uncle’s insistence she kept the guards on,” Aki continued, noticing the way his father was looking around with a quirked brow at the suspiciously empty house. He simply nodded and made a mental note to have a chat with his stubborn mate later about the importance of extra bodies in the house to protect her in her vulnerable state.

The two walked the rest of the way up in companionable silence before Sesshuo parted from the boy at the top with an amicable pat to the head, to which Akihiko responded with a small smile and wave as he turned down the long hallway toward his room.

With a passing thought that the whelp was growing up too fast for his liking, Sesshuo made his way to his own room and was greeted with a lovely view upon entrance.

Kagura was sitting on the edge of their king-sized four-poster in a delightfully thin robe, her damp hair falling down her back in inky waves as she struggled to put her socks on.

Huffing her bangs out of her eyes in frustration, she gave one final grunt of exertion before giving up and flopping back on the bed, much to the silent amusement of her husband.

“Quit watching me from the shadows like some creep and come help me,” she finally said as she shook her one bare foot in his direction, and he fought the fond smile that wanted to quirk up the corners of his mouth; her hearing and sense of smell were not nearly as good as his, but she always knew when he was nearby, even from when before they were properly mated.

Walking into the room, he took the lone sock that dangled from her fingertips and kneeled to roll it onto her dainty foot. He gave an absent thought to what his younger brother would think of him so willingly bending to the will of this far weaker woman ( _“I didn’t even think you knew how to kneel!”_ he could picture the brat saying with a sneer), but shook all thoughts from his head immediately thereafter and kissed Kagura’s knee softly.

“How has our princess been treating you today?” he intoned as he continued to slowly drag his lips up her lovely pale legs, taking in her wonderfully intoxicating scent and savoring it like a fine wine.

Kagura chuckled deeply, then sighed contently as her husband parted the hem of her robe to nuzzle her round stomach without hindrance.

“She’s as lively as her father, and about as hungry! I swear, I didn’t eat this much when I was pregnant with Aki.”

He smiled at that - his daughter was going to be a hell-raiser like her mother, for sure - then gently ran his hands from Kagura’s sides to her full, aching breasts and massaged lightly.

“You’re in a rare mood tonight,” she commented through a startled gasp when his thumbs brushed over her stiffening nipples.

“Of course I am,” he breathed against her swollen belly, as if his sudden advances were completely warranted, “my little brother has seen more of you in these past days than I have. His scent is more prevalent on your skin than my own.” And, of course, he planned to change that this very instant.

Kagura scoffed, though she didn’t resist when he reared up to lavish attention to the delicate stretch of her neck.

“That’s not _my_ fault! _You’ve_ been holing yourself up in your office all week, and _you’re_ the one that sent Yashiro here earlier about the Band of Seven case!”

Her logic, as always, brought him pause. Though her words were laced heavily with sarcasm, he could tell even without the use of superhuman senses that there was a small part of her that was still upset with him for his noticeable absence these past few days.

Sighing, he reached down to wrap her thighs around his waist and hoisted her into a more comfortable position on the bed, arranging himself on his side next to her and running his hand over her naked stomach.

“I will not apologize for being thorough at my job, Kagura. You knew the conditions when you gave yourself to me.”

It was Kagura’s turn to sigh, but before she could retort with that famously sharp tongue that he loved so much, he shushed her and continued on a softer note.

“But you are right: it is not your fault that I have not been around, and I did not mean to make you feel that way.” Kissing her softly behind the ear, he reveled in the shiver that coursed down her spine. “And,” he continued, tugging at her earlobe and resisting a smug smirk when the scent of her renewed arousal permeated the air, “I am sorry that you were forced to relive your past for the sake of my case today.”

If someone would have told him in his younger days that he, Lord Sesshomaru of the Western Lands, the most powerful demon to walk these lands save for his late father, would be here now, domesticated with a family, apologizing to his very pregnant, _very_ hormonal mate, he would have called them crazy.

Well, no, he probably would have decimated them on the spot for even deining to speak such rubbish, yet here he was, cuddling up to his wife like some lovestruck fool, and he long ago had come to accept the fact that he had gone soft, if only for the lovely young woman in his arms, his pup down the hall, and his pup yet to be born.

Kagura stiffened, and for a moment he surmised he had ruined the mood with his - albeit rare - apology, but after another second she melted against him and moved on her side to fit her back against his chest and her wonderfully round ass against the cradle of his hips.

_I do not think I have ever been properly grateful for pregnancy hormones…_ he thought absently when she ground against him.

“I don’t want to think about that right now,” she said sternly, arching when he reached around to drag his finger against her wet and wanting core. “Although I hope you realize that after we’re done here, you are going to tell me every single aspect of this case you’re working on so I’m not blindsided again, confidentiality be-damned!”

He smirked into her hair - _his strong-willed, feisty woman would never change_ \- and gently rolled her so she was on her hands and knees, moving a pillow under her round belly as he nearly ripped off his tie and dress shirt and dragged his trousers down over his hips.

“I believe,” he said against her spine, savoring her submissive whine as she arched against his practiced caresses, “you are no longer in the position to be giving orders.”

*~*~*~*~*~*

Kagome’s evening was uneventful - mild, even, compared to everything that had gone on over the past 24 hours.

It felt as though she hadn’t been in her own apartment in years, and she heaved a grateful sigh of relief when she kicked open the door to find everything the way it had been when she left that morning. Sometimes one had to take comfort in the little things.

After a warm bubble bath where she took extra time to exfoliate her skin and deep condition her hair (self-care was important, especially after everything she had witnessed that day!) she retired early to her bed, not even bothering to crawl under the covers as her exhausted body fell into unconsciousness almost instantly.

One deep, dreamless sleep later, and she was up with the sun, dressing leisurely and checking her cell for messages as she brushed her teeth.

There was one from Sango, confirming that the two of them needed to catch up today, and another from Yashiro that reaffirmed their plans for the day that included taking care of business at their respective work establishments before meeting up at the Western Mansion at 7 to get ready for their mission.

Kagome wasn’t sure why she blushed, nor was she quite certain why she thought his use of the skull and crossbones emoji - indicating his displeasure with said mission - was cute.

Deciding to push all thoughts of the handsome special agent out of her head for the time being, she finished getting ready, locked her apartment door behind her, and made her way to the precinct, taking a brief detour to grab two steaming cups of coffee from her favorite kiosk just outside the building.

Walking into the precinct was like coming home, and she allowed herself a soft smile at the familiar environment. Adjusting her grip on the coffee cups in her hands, she turned toward the bullpen, fully intent on announcing her return to her partner before a rather loud confrontation beat her to the punchline.

“Hey, you pervert! My eyes are up here!”

“And what lovely eyes they are. I could lose myself in them for hours.”

“Oh, I know exactly what you’d like to lose yourself in, buddy, and you’ll have to try a lot harder to win me over now after you just spent the past 15 minutes drooling over my breasts!”

“You misunderstand! I was simply admiring the locket around your neck! I am a victim of circumstances!”

“I’ll show you a victim of circumstances!”

Kagome quirked a brow at the unmistakable sound of Sango shrieking her disapproval, wondering why she was so riled up this early in the morning.

_I recognize that second voice, too…_ she thought as she rounded the corner, coming across a rather peculiar scene. Well, Sango threatening someone with dismemberment was nothing new, but the person she was currently threatening had Kagome blinking rapidly in surprise.

“Mr. Amachi?”

Both Sango and Miroku looked over at her, the former’s fingers wrapped around the collar of the latter’s shirt while he held up his hands in a defensive, placating gesture.

“Kagome!” Sango exclaimed, dropping Miroku like an afterthought as she ran to embrace her partner and long time friend. “I heard all about the confrontation across town in the industrial park. I can’t believe some jerk ran you off the road like that! Are you okay? You didn’t call me last night. You could have been killed!”

Kagome smiled at her friend’s concerns (and internally thanked whoever spoke with Sango first for coming up with a cover story for Mistress Centipede), then shirked out of the circle of her arms and offered her the steaming cup of joe in her right hand as a peace offering.

“I’m sorry I didn’t call you after the incident last night. There were...complications, and by the time I got home all I could do was shoot you a text before passing out.”

Kagome smiled sheepishly and jiggled the Styrofoam cup of coffee under Sango’s nose, hoping to entice her into accepting her apology.

Sango huffed and looked like she wanted to say more on the matter, but the delectable smell of French Roast was distracting her, and the insistent pounding behind her temple reminded her that she was about two seconds away from sporting the world’s most painful caffeine headache.

Snatching the cup from Kagome’s hand, she mumbled a clipped, “We’ll talk about this later,” before downing the scorching liquid without a second thought.

Kagome’s smile broadened before she glanced over Sango’s shoulder and noticed Miroku still sitting on top of her desk with his eyes focused somewhere between Sango’s lower back and calves.

Glaring, she cleared her throat loudly and shouldered past her momentarily-distracted partner to pin the handsome special agent with a hard set of hazel eyes.

“What, exactly, are you doing here, Mr. Amachi? Did Mr. Nishimura not tell you we were working separately today?”

Miroku had the decency to look sheepish under her scrutinizing gaze, and he averted his eyes from Sango’s posterior to meet Kagome head on.

“I am aware you and Yashiro are taking a break today, but something has come up with the Band of Seven case that cannot wait until tomorrow to be discussed.”

Kagome quirked a brow, about to ask him why he couldn't just call her about it, when Sango stepped into the conversation.

“You're working the Band of Seven case with _this_ perv? I thought you were working with hot-butt McDreamy eyes,” the brunette said offhandedly as she sipped her coffee casually, and Kagome fought the blush that wanted to rise to her cheeks at Sango’s nickname for Yashiro.

_Though, she has a point…_ she thought.

“Special Agent Amachi is Mr. Nishimura’s partner, Sango. I'm assuming the only reason he isn't here to tell me about this new development in the case himself is because he is busy?”

She gave Miroku a knowing look, and he smirked.

“Sesshuo has buried the poor fellow in a mountain of paperwork, I'm afraid. May his soul rest in peace,” and he placed his palms together in mock-prayer. Kagome giggled at his antics while Sango only rolled her eyes before walking away, no longer interested in their conversation.

Kagome noted with both mild interest and a liberal amount of disgust as Miroku’s eyes followed Sango’s retreating backside until she turned the corner, and when he refocused his attention, Kagome’s slight sneer had him shaking his head and raising his hands again in defense.

“I wasn’t-”

“Save it,” and she put her hand up to signify she was not interested in his excuses at the moment, “we’ll talk about what just happened between you and _my best friend_ later,” she gave him a look that indicated she was not letting him off easily, and he swallowed visibly. “What was so important that you had to come tell me in person?”

All at once Miroku’s expression became gravely serious, and he motioned for Kagome to follow him into a secluded conference room. Only when the door was shut and locked and the blinds were drawn did he speak.

“Kyokotsu has the mark.”

His simple statement was met with silence, though if Yashiro or Sesshuo had been there they would have been able to hear the quickening of her heartbeat and almost inaudible gulp as her eyebrows skyrocketed under her bangs.

“You’re sure?”

“Captain Nishimura himself checked this morning. It’s a small brand on the lower part of his back, but it’s obviously in the shape of a spider.”

Kagome nodded, thoughts already moving a mile a minute as she took a distracted sip of her coffee.

If Kyokotsu had the mark of the spider on his back, then there was a good chance that the other members of the Band of Seven did as well. It was still only a hunch, but if she were somehow able to get her hands on the big fish, Bankotsu himself, and see for sure that he also had the brand, then it would be more solid evidence that Naraku was using the Band of Seven for something far more sinister than peddling illegal youkai drugs to humans.

“Well, it’s a start, if nothing else,” she finally said after another moment of contemplation, and Miroku nodded his agreement.

“It at least proves that Naraku is out there. Perhaps you and Yashiro will be able to come up with something a little more solid against Bankotsu at the gala this evening.”

Despite the serious mood, Kagome couldn’t help but smile.

“I’m looking forward to doing some undercover work, but I’m positive Mr. Nishimura isn’t.”

Miroku rubbed a thumb over his chin, his sly smile making his eyes twinkle as he chuckled softly.

“He’ll come around. After all, who could be in a bad mood with such lovely company?”

Kagome blushed and looked away from Miroku’s intense blue eyes.

“Thank you, but I’m sure Mr. Nishimura is capable of being in a bad mood regardless of whose company he is in.”

She wasn’t sure how to decipher the look that came over Miroku’s face after that comment, and she was even more confused when he simply shrugged and said, “You’d be surprised.”

Quirking a brow, she decided against questioning his cryptic response, instead getting back to more pressing matters.

“Should we inform Captain Kaede about this new development in the case?”

To her even greater confusion, Miroku shook his head in the negative.

“Captain Nishimura gave express orders to only tell you about Naraku’s involvement. Once we have more solid evidence, you are permitted to report to your superior officer, but for the time being we have to keep this under wraps.”

“I’m not sure if I am comfortable lying to my Captain.”

“You are omitting the truth, if anything. Miss Higurashi, you must understand: this case is turning into the likes of something far greater than any of us were prepared,” he stepped closer to her and placed his hands on her shoulders, allowing her to see how serious he was about what he was telling her. 

“We have to be certain of everything before exposing anyone else to the magnitude of this case, including your Captain. It is only because you are working so closely with Yashiro on this case that Captain Nishimura even considered involving you in the first place.”

Kagome’s eyes blew wide for a moment before she nodded her understanding. Miroku held her gaze for a few seconds more to assure she got his point, then stepped a respectable distance away from her and ran a hand through his hair.

“I realize we are putting you in a tough spot, especially after everything you have been through in the past few days, and we all appreciate your discretion, even if some of us at the YTF do not openly express it.”

He gave her a meaningful look followed by a small, charming smile, and she found herself returning it and inclining her head slightly in acknowledgement after a moment of serious thought collection.

“Thank you, Mr. Amachi.”

Silence reigned for but a moment before Miroku cleared his throat and moved to unlock the door.

“So I hear you know about Yashiro’s little secret, now,” he said, hand poised on the door handle and grinning cheekily at her from over his shoulder.

She couldn’t help responding with a grin of her own, even if hers was slightly sheepish as she said, “Yeah, I kind of passed out after accidentally seeing him without his concealment spell…”

That made Miroku outright laugh, and his eyes were alight with mischief as he opened the door to the bustling precinct.

“He didn’t tell me about that! That’s hilarious!”

The two of them shared a laugh, Kagome blushing in embarrassment at how she reacted yesterday while Miroku held the door for her and led her back to her desk.

“So...what do you think?” he asked meaningfully after a few silent minutes of observation, and she blinked owlishly at him for a moment before looking pensively at the now cold coffee in her hand.

“I’m...relieved, mostly. That the big secret is out, and I’m glad that he can be himself around me now without having to hold his breath. I have a feeling it’s going to make our partnership easier moving forward.”

Miroku adopted a pensive expression for a moment before smiling that charming smile of his that never failed to remind Kagome that every single male agent in the YTF was way out of her league.

“He is lucky to have such a kind and understanding confidant as yourself in his corner. I know he may not express it, but he is grateful for your ability to take everything in stride.”

Kagome returned his smile and nodded her assent, then watched in amusement as the handsome agent shifted slightly where he stood, as if suddenly remembering something that made him very uncomfortable.

Smirking, she took a smug sip from her coffee and quirked a brow at him.

“Something the matter, Agent Amachi?”

He stiffened at the sugary sweet quality of her voice, indicating false innocence that would have his hackles rising if he were a dog demon like Yashiro.

“Not at all, Detective,” he said after clearing his throat, cracking a smile that was as fake as it was guilty.

Kagome only shrugged and nodded, but before he was able to come up with a half-baked excuse to leave, she said, “Oh, and Agent Amachi?”

He paused in his efforts to dismiss himself from her presence, the look on his face priceless as she gave him a positively lethal look over the lip of her coffee cup.

“Don't think I've forgotten about about the little conversation you and I need to have concerning your intentions with Sango. Let's chat, shall we?”

*~*~*~*~*~*

“You’re late, Uncle.”

“Gee, glad to see you, too, whelp.”

Yashiro shouldered his way past his nephew into Western Mansion fifteen minutes after 7, grumbling all the way and obviously in a bad mood.

“Detective Higurashi has been here for nearly twenty minutes now. It’s rude to keep her waiting, you know,” Akihiko teased as he shut the door, crossing his arms and regarding his uncle with a slight frown.

“Everyday you sound more and more like your old man, and it’s really starting to get on my nerves,” Yashiro grumped, kicking off his shoes in the foyer and watching closely as Akihiko wisely skirted his bristling form to grab a garment bag hanging on the banister to the grand staircase.

As much as the boy liked to tease, he was still smart enough to realize when his uncle was absolutely not in the mood; though his father was the alpha, Yashiro was the beta, and instinctually Akihiko knew to respect that.

_Good...the pup hasn’t forgotten his place…_ Yashiro thought as the teenager approached slowly with his head slightly cocked downward and his eyes resolutely on the ground.

“This is the outfit my father would like you to wear for the gala,” Akihiko intoned, handing the garment bag to Yashiro with a slight bow, and Yashiro accepted the offering with only a small sneer.

“He took into account my specifications?” he asked, and Akihiko nodded. “Fine. Stay here; I’m gonna go shower and change real quick.”

“Mother is helping Miss Higurashi into her outfit up in the master suite,” Akihiko said absently, and Yashiro quirked a brow at the odd and, frankly, random change in subject, but when he turned to question the boy he glimpsed the mischievous twinkle in his eyes and rolled his eyes instead.

“I don’t care where she is as long as she’s ready soon. I want to get this over with as quickly as possible,” he mumbled and, before Akihiko could retort with a snide response, he sped up the stairs two at a time to avoid further conversation.

Akihiko only smirked knowingly before heaving out a sigh and plopping down on the bottom step of the staircase.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

A quick shower and a struggle into stiff formal clothing later and Yashiro was shifting uncomfortably at the bottom of the stairs, trying not to fidget with his tie as he, Akihiko, and Kagura gathered downstairs in wait for Kagome to be finished touching up her makeup.

A soft snort brought him out of his stormy thoughts, and he glared down at the boy as he vainly tried to hide his chuckles behind his hand.

“Oi. _What_ , brat?”

“You look like a waiter,” Aki snorted derisively, his shoulders shaking from the effort it took to hold in his laughter.

Yashiro growled in warning, but he couldn’t fault the kid; he didn’t look like the typical party-goer in his current outfit.

Deciding to forego the formal tux, he opted for a simple suit with a blood-red bowtie and a matching red waistcoat. His long hair was pulled back out of his face and fastened at the back of his neck with a red leather tie, and his shoes were black wingtip boots instead of the far more formal oxfords. 

He wasn’t necessarily dressed to the nines, but he thought he looked good enough all things considered; inconspicuous enough to blend in, while also comfortable enough to move freely if things ended up going south.

Kagura rolled her eyes as she considered her brother-in-law with a practiced gaze.

“He refuses to wear a tux because it ‘limits his mobility’ or some equally foolish drivel,” she said to Aki, and they both smirked when he turned to glare at them.

“Give it a rest; I look fine. Besides, Sess knows I don’t do undercover cases unless I get to pick at least some of what I wear. Can’t wield my sword in a tux.”

“I think you look handsome, Mr. Nishimura,” came a fourth voice from the top of the stairs, and everyone turned to watch as Kagome descended the steps with an elegant grace. Yashiro’s breath caught in his throat at the sight of her.

Donning a sleeveless red evening gown with a beaded bodice and a matching chiffon wrap, she looked positively breathtaking, like a perfect cherry tart, and he was holding true to his canine heritage by almost drooling all over himself. Her hair was up in an elegant chignon that emphasized the delicate slope of her snow-white neck, and her tempting, scarlet lips parted around a pretty smile as she alighted on the bottom step.

Yashiro casually noted the strappy red heels adorning her dainty feet as she dropped her dress back down from where she held it to avoid tripping over the bottom hem, and his attention was only briefly drawn to the tantalizing slit that ran up the left side of her skirt before he shook himself and stepped up to take her hand.

“You look beautiful, Detective,” Akihiko said from behind him, and he couldn’t help but nod in agreement as he helped her down to the ground, all the while eyeing her intensely and trying not to lose his cool.

Kagome blushed prettily, and not only because of Aki’s words - Yashiro’s heated gaze was causing butterflies to manifest in her tummy, a not altogether unpleasant feeling as she felt like she was going to spontaneously combust from the look in his eyes alone.

“Thank you, Akihiko. Your mother did a wonderful job with my hair and makeup. I feel like a princess!”

Kagura smirked, noting Yashiro’s stunned silence and the slight shift in his pheromones the moment he laid eyes on the young woman, and sweeped her gaze over her with a critical eye.

“You’re really going to fit in at the gala, Miss Higurashi. Those rich and powerful men will positively adore you; Yash will have to beat them all off with a stick!”

She was looking at Yashiro when she said that last part, and the subsonic growl she received as a result of her teasing caused a sly smile to spread across her ruby lips.

Kagome’s blush deepened, but she smiled genuinely at the compliment as she shrugged into the faux fur jacket Yashiro proffered.

“I just hope it’s enough of a disguise. Bankotsu probably couldn't pick me out of a lineup, but I don’t want to seem too out of place…”

“You look fine,” Yashiro said, then blinked rapidly as Kagome turned her wide, smokey eyes on him. “I mean...you don’t look like a cop, and with the masks, no one will be able to even tell who we are…” he amended, then resisted the urge to smack himself in the forehead when her expression dropped and her electrifying smile melted into a stern line.

_Shit...foot, meet mouth. Why can’t I just say nice things for once?_

Instead of attempting to rephrase and potentially make a bigger fool of himself, he grunted and moved to take the shoulder holster Akihiko was holding.

“Since you don’t have any room in that dress for a concealed firearm, Detective, Yashiro will be in charge of tactical confrontation,” Kagura said, holding her brother-in-law’s suit jacket as he struggled into the holster, “This should be a simple recon mission, but if things get hairy, Sess gave express orders for Yashiro to run point.”

Kagome nodded, trying not to distractedly bite her lip at the attractive flex of Yashiro’s muscles under his tight button-down as he finished adjusting his weapon to his liking, grumbling all the while about how he’d better not have to use the gun, if only for his ears’ sake. 

How many different kinds of messed up was she if she thought he looked his most arousing standing there now, sleeves pushed up to his elbows to expose his strong forearms and gun slung tightly against his side by the leather shoulder holster? She had never been attracted to holsters or firearms before; maybe it was just the fact that it made the already mysterious and sexy special agent in front of her just that much more dangerous and exciting to her.

Shaking herself, she nearly ducked her head in embarrassment at the dirty thoughts clouding her mind. She needed to focus; they were on their way to a potentially dangerous undercover mission, and she couldn’t afford to be distracted.

Yashiro, for his part, was struggling to keep his composure. Kagome’s scent was shifting rapidly, and it was driving him absolutely insane. His only saving grace was that Aki and Kagura were keeping their mouths resolutely shut, even though he knew the two of them could smell the young woman’s arousal just as easily as he could in such a small space.

_Not sure if it would be a good idea to warn her that we can smell every subtle shift in her scent…_

Trying to think of the most horrifying images to keep his own libido at bay - _slow dancing with Miroku in a dress...Kagura devouring an entire cone of pickle-flavored ice cream...Sesshuo in a speedo_ \- he shrugged back into his suit jacket and turned to address Kagome.

“You ready?” he asked, digging through the deep inner pockets of his jacket and producing two masks - one an ornately decorated red while the other was plain black satin.

Kagome smiled and took the red one, settling it over her eyes. “Let’s do this.”


End file.
